Issue 4_The SpringHillian_Fall2021

SpringHillian The

Thanksgiving on The Hill for International Students

Carson Reeves Reporter

Every year students on campus look forward to going home and spending time with loved ones for Thanksgiving break, but for our international students, plans for this time of year look a bit diferent.

For those students who stay on campus during break, the cafe hosts an annual Thanksgiving feast. This gives international students a chance to gather with their friends who are still on campus and participate in American traditions while also staying true to their own.

Among the 1,317 students enrolled at Spring Hill College, 30 countries are represented. Due to varying reasons, many fnd themselves unable to travel

home for the holidays and traditional school breaks.

Our nation recognizes Thanksgiving Day as a celebration of our blessings and ancestors. International countries do not celebrate this day because their ancestors are of diferent cultures and ethnicities to whom they associate with diferent traditions and history.

Portuguese native Diogo Sousa said, “ I never really understood Thanksgiving till I came to the states, but now I see it as a day to focus on the things you are thankful for and to celebrate with your loved ones. Unfortunately my family is in Portugal, so I will not be spending time with them. Instead I am taking the break to go on a roadtrip with my friends and celebrate our relationships.”

Other activities for

international students during break could include going home with friends to celebrate with other families, taking a trip, or even going a few hours down the highway to Gulf Shores. The possibilities are endless for these students.

Senior Luca Carrese who also is from Portugal mentioned, “This holiday for me is a chance to spend time with the friends I have made here at Spring Hill. It is an opportunity for us to relax and enjoy traditions we don’t normally participate in

at home.”

For more information on the events being held on campus for students staying this Thanksgiving break, visit www.shc.edu or @springhilldining on Instagram.

Update on Spring Hill College’s Mask Mandate

Elizabeth Thompson Reporter

Spring Hill College has decided to lift their mandatory mask policy as of Nov. 1.

Students and faculty will no longer be required to wear a mask when entering buildings on campus.

The College wants to remain sensitive to concerns about the pandemic. If you have not received a COVID-19 vaccination, the College has stated that you

should continue to wear a mask while indoors. The Caf, McKinney’s and Einstein’s will no longer require a mask to enter.

Some faculty on campus may still require their students to wear masks in their classrooms. Some ofces on campus might also continue to require a mask to enter. These ofces will have a sign on the ofce door that states their ofces mask mandate rules.

For meetings and other indoor activities, if you are more comfortable

continuing to wear a mask feel free to do so.

The College’s athletic conferences are still requiring masks for only the attendees. The College is asking students and faculty to follow these current mask mandate regulations when attending sporting events so they can continue their season.

Senior Spring Hill student, Dani Amador said, “I am really excited that things are almost getting back to normal, but I think it is still very important that

everyone gets vaccinated so we do not have to go back to wearing masks in class.”

The College has announced that if COVID-19 cases on campus increase and reach a certain level to where masks or any other COVID containment protocols are required, the school will communicate this information as soon as possible.

According to Vice President of Student Afairs, Kevin Abel, overall Spring Hill College is at a 58 percent vaccination rate. Spring Hill

will still be encouraging students, staf and faculty to receive the full COVID-19 vaccine. The College will communicate details for any upcoming vaccination clinics for COVID-19.

Spring Hill College also wants you to continue to check on and monitor your health and follow the College’s COVID-19 policies in regards to reporting a positive case of COVID or exposure of any kind.

Volume 124, Issue 4 Thursday, November 4, 2021

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

Portuguese student, Carlos Fernandes and Venezuelano student, Juan Herrera. Picture by: Mikkel Aasboe

Spring Hill Introduces New & Improved Website

Regina Gomez-Guillen Manager

Spring Hill College launched its new website on Monday, Oct. 25.

The website ofers easy layout and access to all the information prospective and current students, faculty and staf may need. After many months of developing this new website, students are now able to smoothly transition to a new “frstclass user experience” campus website.

Assistant Director of Integrated Marketing Communications, Logan Barrett, stated that the reason behind updating the website was that “one of the largest issues with the old site was how difcult

it was to navigate. It was important for us to make it easier for people to fnd the information that they needed quickly.”

Spring Hill students have expressed that this new website brings a sense of what Spring Hill is all about along with being more interactive and easy to navigate. Information is laid out more clearly, but taking time for them to adjust to the new format.

Spring Hill College, Ofce of Marketing and Communications, stated that within the new website users can see up-to-date information and vibrant photos to highlight life on The Hill.

It was important for the college to create a place for families of students looking

at colleges to have a site that portrays what Spring Hill has to ofer. Being able to look at information easily and noting the various academics the college ofers while making the user more comfortable while viewing the site was a top priority for Spring Hill College.

Barrett also added that “some new features that we feel like will be great assets are our academics page that allows users to flter programs based on subject, delivery, and academic level.”

Spring Hills website not only incorporates how to make sure incoming students have all the information they need to help make becoming a Badger easy, but also what

Mobile, Al. has to ofer when students come to visit.

Students can also fnd how to be more involved on campus through mission and service or catch up on the latest news from the college

all in one location.

E. Joseph Lee, PhD, President of Spring Hill College expressed, “We are very excited about the new site and couldn’t wait to share it!”

Parents and Alumni Weekend on the Hill

Elizabeth Thompson Reporter

Families of students and alumni visited Spring Hill College last weekend to participate in Parents Day Weekend, an event that celebrates the Spring Hill community. This was the frst time the event was celebrated since the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Saturday, Oct. 23, the Spring Hill rugby team played a home game against Troy University. They fnished the game with a victory, winning 57-12. Not only did the Badgers win, but many parents and

alumni participated in a tailgate to watch the game.

One member of the rugby team, Peter Mimnaugh said, “Both my dad and his dad went to Spring Hill, so it was really cool to have my dad be able to come back as an alumni and watch me play.”

Mimnaugh also mentioned “Having the parents tailgate our game defnitely raised the spirit of the entire team.” According to Mimnaugh he is excited to continue the tradition of parents’ weekend in his future years at Spring Hill.

Along with the rugby game, the alumni department organized an event for some students and alumni called ‘Seniors with Seniors Brunch’. This brunch welcomed alumni and gave them the opportunity to visit with the current Spring Hill seniors.

The brunch included the class of 1970-1971, who celebrated their fftieth class reunion this year, and the current graduating senior class of 2022. This allowed for students to meet older Spring Hill alumni and gather with their senior class.

Another event that happened during family weekend was ‘Red White and Cupola’. This allowed for senior families and alumni to

go to the top of the cupola on campus. This area is not unusually accessible, but it gave guests an exclusive view of Mobile.

The Center for Student Involvement on campus organized a family casino night on Saturday. Students were able to bring their families to enjoy a fun night of games and competition in Leblanc.

Family weekend has been an enjoyable event on Spring Hill’s campus that allows the students to celebrate the Spring Hill community and include their families. Visiting alumni and families helped to create a fun environment on campus.

@shcstudentmedia newswire.shc.edu shcmedia@shc.edu

SHC MEDIA TEAM:

The SpringHillian Editor: Summer Poole

Art Director: Regina Gomez-Guillen

Advertising Manager: Caroline Landaiche

BTV Producer: Samantha Gonzalez

BTV Director: Sacha Ducreux

SHC Student Media

Reporters: Elizabeth Thompson, India Hall, Jacob Little, Madeleine Braham, Carson Reeves, Madeline Ortego

Advisors:

Stuart Babington and Gary Wolverton

Anna and Alaina Aguilar celebrating parents weekend with their mom.

Picture by: Gabriel Weaver

OPINION

Black Friday in 2021: In-Person or Online?

Madeleine Braham Columnist

We’ve all heard the stories before.

Anxious retail employees struggle to prepare themselves for an onslaught of holiday shoppers.

Massive fghts break out in the back of a retail center over a new toy or kitchen appliance that has been put on sale for a single day.

Lines go on for miles outside of stores. Countless shoppers wait to get their hands on some of the best and most feeting deals of the holiday season. Some have camped in these lines for days. Others have joined in the early hours of the morning.

All are here for one thing: Black Friday.

But what if I told you

that this picture was slowly beginning to change? Think about it. We’ve already started seeing a massive shift in the world of in-person retail.

Curbside pickup, same-day delivery, and online shopping have made in-person shopping a thing of the past. Target has started making its sales available online, and so have

other major retail centers. Corporations like Amazon give free shipping and other perks to customers with certain subscriptions. All in all, it seems like the world wide web has started to slowly consume the retail industry as we know it today.

And the pandemic has not slowed this process either. According to Forbes.com, trafc numbers for physical stores during the Black Friday holiday was down 42.3 percent. For smaller businesses, trafc decreased by 49 percent. Adobe Analytics says that online shopping during Black Friday was up by 22 percent, with online shoppers spending a whopping $9 billion on the day following Thanksgiving. COVID-conscious stores like Bath & Body Works are trying to prevent

overcrowding by limiting the number of customers who are allowed within the store at the same time.

So, in an age as turbulent and uncertain as this one, is it better to shop in-person or online this year? For me, I think we should engage in a careful combination of both. For larger corporations who are bringing their inperson sales to the Internet, I say we should try to take advantage of the online

opportunity.

To support local businesses, take advantage of their sales directly at their location. In-person shopping keeps local businesses afoat in times of crisis - and it also contributes to the exciting Black Friday experience.

So, come on everyone! Grab your N-95 masks and a bottle of hand sanitizer. It’s time we went shopping!

What is Thanksgiving Like With A Mental Illness?

Samantha Gonzalez Manager

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching many Americans are looking for ways to safeguard their

mental health this holiday season.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), one in fve adults in America experience mental illness; meaning nearly 43.8 million adults experience mental illness in a given year. Further, 64 percent of these same people express that the holidays make their conditions worse.

These feelings typically begin with Thanksgiving and end with New Years. Two of the more commonly exacerbated illnesses are anxiety and depression.

The American Psychological Association states that a lack of time, gift-giving, and family gatherings are a few reasons given for the increased stress at this time.

The lack of sunlight that happens around this time of year can also be attributed to this increase. Seasonal afective disorder afects between 1.5 percent of people in more southern states to 9 percent of people in more northern states. This is caused from the lack of sunlight and can lead to depression symptoms whether new or old.

I personally sufer from both anxiety and depression. Around Thanksgiving I begin to notice a diference in myself and my behavior. I tend to be a bit more reserved and stressed. With school and fnals on the way, as well as family coming to visit, and trying to manage it all makes things much harder during this time. I try to

monitor myself so I can ask for help if I feel like I am starting to need it. I always feel so alone and in doing this research I have come to realize I’m really not alone in feeling this way.

Asking for help and trying to live with mental illness can both be hard things to do. I try to keep in mind that asking for help isn’t weak, but one of the strongest things I can do for myself.

To deal with these stressors, I keep in mind that not everything is worth doing, I limit how much I spend on family and friends so I don’t worry about the money, and I try and enjoy my time with visiting family while also keeping time for myself because I know that it’s what I need.

This Thanksgiving and

orholiday season keep in mind it’s always better to do what’s best for you than trying to do what’s best for the people around you.

EDITORIAL POLICY

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.

The SpringHillian is published fve times each semester from September to December. The views expressed herein do not represent the views of Spring Hill College and are not the views of the faculty, administration, staf or students. They are the views of the individual columnists.

AROUND THE HILL

Four Students dressing up and enjoying Oktober Fest hosted by Lambda Chi.

Picture by: Gabriel Weaver

Two students participating in the sack race at Pumpkin Palooza hosted by Tri-Delta.

Picture by: Hilary Nelson

Three students enjoying Oktober Fest hosted by Lambda Chi.

Picture by: Gabriel Weaver

A father and son enjoying Parent’s Day Weekend here on The Hill. Picture by: Gabriel Weaver

Chemistry Professor, Dr. Jackson, exploding a pumpkin.

Picture by: Regina Gomez-Guillen

AROUND THE HILL

Eloise Day preparing pumpkins to be blown up. Picture by: Regina Gomez-Guillen

Students having fun at Parent’s Day Weekend. Picture by: Gabriel Weaver

Nadia Pereira participating in the Chemistry clubs experiment of mixing Mentos and Coke together.

Picture by: Regina Gomez-Guillen

The Chemistry Club’s exploding pumpkins event.

Picture by: Madeline Ortego

Layne Carson participating in the Pumpkin Palooza bobbing for apples event hosted by Tri-Delta.

Picture by: Emma Fisher

Tri-Delta Organizes Tri Love Week on The Hill

Carson Reeves Reporter

The Gamma Delta chapter of Tri Delta here on Spring Hill College Campus hosted its annual Tri Love Week in hopes of promoting positive reinforcement to those around you and the awareness of emotional

wellbeing. October is nationally recognized as Emotional Wellness Month. This month is geared toward educating individuals on how you can positively impact the physical and psychological wellbeing of those around you, while also making positive changes for yourself.

Outside sources such as stress, high levels of screentime, unhealthy relationships and low physical health are all things that afect your emotional status. By monitoring these things for yourself and those that you love, you could be ofering help in regards to someone’s emotional state. “Mental health is very important, even the smallest sticky note helps,” said Junior Sophie Bailey. Tri Delta organized events to showcase ways in which others can avoid the feelings of emotional decline and negative thoughts.

All Tri Delta members posted positive thoughts all throughout campus to remind fellow students and faculty that they are loved. Or simply wrote a nice phrase to put a smile on someone else’s face. Small things like this are proven to boost emotional well being.

The chapter also held a self defense class with

faculty member Dr. Eads to educate young adults on ways to protect themselves. Classes such as these give confdence to those struggling with emotional thoughts as well as those who are confdent in themselves.

Emotional wellness is defned as our ability to process emotions in a safe and positive way in order to deal with the stress and reality of our everyday lives.

Tri Delta member Emma Fisher said, “Our mission this week is to open up a

conversation about mental health and wellness within our chapter, and create a support system that will help all girls feel more comfortable to get any support they need!”

If you have any questions about emotional wellbeing or are interested in helping yourself and others gain positive reinforcements, reach out to a Tri Delta member or simply compliment someone on campus today.

Celebrating Hilloween Weekend Badger Style

India Hall Reporter

The Halloween spirit was very prominent on Spring Hills campus this year with the help of students from various organizations such as Campus Programming Board, Student Government Association, and Panhellenic Organizations.

The Campus Programming Board hosted a pumpkin carving contest on Oct. 28 in Rydex Commons. Students gathered in groups of four on Rydex to participate.

Students received whole pumpkins and had to gut and carve them with a limited amount of time. The frst place team won Badger Bucks.

There were some spooky explosions on campus as well. Dr. Jackson and some of the chemistry students blew up various spooky

pumpkins. They allowed non chemistry students to participate and watch. There were exploding sodas, trash cans and pumpkins galore!

Senior Kiersten Turpeau shares how Halloween on Spring Hills campus has changed in the fve years since she was a freshmen, “And SGA defnitely tries to put together events an promote, it’s just we need more engagement and we also need to in advanced time. I think everything was kind of last minute, but that’s okay because it still happened and I’m very thankful.”

Lambda Chi Alpha hosted their annual Oktoberfest. Students dressed up in their best Halloween costumes and got together Saturday night at Stewart Field to celebrate the end of the Halloween season with friends. The Grizzly Bears performed live for

students! Student Olivia Odimegwu expresses what Oktoberfest means to her, “Oktoberfest is a good time because everyone gets to come together, and have a good time on Halloween or the day before Halloween, and I love seeing everyone’s creative costumes and

everyone just has a great time listening to the live music.”

Other events such as Psi Chi’s Shutter Island event, Tri Deltas Pumpkin Palooza, CPB’S Haunted Hayride, and SGA’s Trick or Treat were held throughout the week to spread the Halloween spirit.

With Hilloween coming to an end and despite the workload that they face students still found a way to enjoy the spooky holiday. here on the Hill, whether it’s by carving pumpkins, blowing up pumpkins, or simply rocking out with friends.

Tri Delta Member Sydney Barter

Picture by: Emma Fisher

Dr. John Eads leading self defense for Tri Delta Members Picture by: Emma Fisher

Waldo Toyos, Nate Ojeda-Pesa , Joe Studt, Dani Amador riding the SGA hayride

Picture by: India Hall

Women’s Soccer Team Honors Its Seniors

Summer Poole Editor

Spring Hill College volleyball coach Peggy Martin grabbed her 1,400 career win during the game against Loyola University on Tuesday, Oct. 26.

In the fall 2019 season Martin was recognized as becoming the winningest National Collegiate Athletic

Association volleyball coach with 1,349 wins. On Tuesday, Martin reached 1,400 wins after coaching volleyball for 45 years. “I’ve been doing this a long time, so if you’re not going to get some wins you’re probably not doing it for a long time. I think it’s more credit to all the teams that I’ve had play for me” said Martin.

The Badgers have had a good season this year with 25 wins and only fve losses.

Senior volleyball player Kassandra Fairly said she’s very proud of her coach for achieving such a high accomplishment. “I was here when she actually broke the record to be the winningest coach in all of the NCAA, and now that she’s broken 1,400 it’s just a really big deal for her and I’m really proud of her and that she’s my coach,” said Fairly.

Martin is an AVCA and Mobile Sports Hall of Fame member and she became the head volleyball coach

at Spring Hill in 2009. Not only is she the winningest collegiate coach, but she also has made history in the NCAA by having 33 consecutive winning seasons at the University of Central Missouri.

When asked about what leads her to all of the wins she had gotten, Martin said: “You have to have good players. I mean, you can have good players and still

not have a good team, so your good players have to be team players and they have to come together as a team.” During her years at Spring Hill, she has won four consecutive SSAC West Division conferences.

Martin said that her goal at this level is to help young people grow. “ I want to help them realize that we have athletics in order for them to learn responsibilities that

they may not learn in the classroom,” Martin said.

The last volleyball game of the regular season will be Friday, Nov. 5 at 6 p.m. This game will also be the team’s Senior Night.

Once the regular season is over, the volleyball team will compete in the SIAC Championship Tournament from Nov. 15 to Nov. 17 in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Midnight Madness Is Around The Corner!

India Hall Reporter

The Spring Hill men and women’s basketball teams hosted their annual Midnight Madness, which marks the ofcial start of their season.

During this event, from 10 p.m. until midnight on Oct. 21, students and other spectators were invited to meet the basketball team members, participate in games to win prizes, and watch a performance by the dance and cheer team.

In addition to participating in games, spectators also watched members of the basketball teams compete against one another in a three-point shooting competition. This year, junior women’s basketball guard Lindi Debilzan came in frst place for the women’s team, and freshman men’s basketball guard Eli Lenihan

came in frst place for the men’s team.

Midnight Madness was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and spectators were not allowed to attend games during the last season. The season was also much shorter, and the team was not allowed to travel. The return of this Spring Hill tradition had students and athletes excited.

Junior Lindi Debilzan is most excited for the return of fans this season. Debilzan said, “It was a lot of fun seeing all the fans after not seeing any since my freshman year; it’s been about two years because of COVID, so it’s good to see everyone out supporting us. The men’s and women’s teams really appreciate it.”

The night’s fnal and most anticipated event was the slam dunk contest between members of the men’s basketball team.

Freshman Steven Lyles won

the slam dunk contest, and he expressed his hope for continued support from the student body as their season begins.

Lyles said, “Midnight Madness was a great event, and it was really awesome to see all the fans and all the students

come out to support, and I hope this season we get the same outcome with people coming to support us. Go badgers!”

The women’s team opened its season with an exhibition game at South Alabama on Monday night. The Lady Badgers sufered

a 49-85 blowout loss to the Division I neighbors.

The next opportunity to support the Badgers is on Tuesday, Nov. 16 against as the men’s team will take on Loyola University at 7 p.m. The women’s frst home game will be on Nov. 23 at 5:30 p.m. against the University of West Alabama.

Kassandra Fairly sending the ball back over the net . Picture by: Ruby Media

Head Coach Peggy Martin