Issue 7 - Spring Hill College

SpringHillian
The
Volume 85, Number 7
Mobile’s First Collegiate Newspaper
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2006
Business to offer CIS courses online this spring
By Sydney Fagen
Contributing Writer
It was only recently that the nursing
department began offering online courses
to graduate students and now, with their
assistance, the business department has
picked up the trend. The new computer
infomation systems courses being offered
are applications in CIS (CIS 115) and
information systems (CIS 381). Supporters
of online classes claim that it will allow
greater flexibility in scheduling, while
those opposed believe it will take away
from the school’s sense of community and
one-on-one, teacher-student interaction.
CIS Instructor Patricia Williams had
long desired that Spring Hill offer an online
learning program for undergraduates;
however, she was spurred to take action
when she learned that she would be
moving to Doha, Qatar before the spring
semester. “I knew if we didn’t do it now
we’d never get it done,” Williams noted.
She presented the project to Chair of
Business Division Dr. James Larriviere
and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dr. Noreen Carrocci for approval.
Before the classes could be added
to the curriculum, they first had to meet
the federal standard for online education
(SCORM). The program differs from
that of nursing which is using a program
called E-college. Williams stated that
the CIS online classes will be formatted
similarly to ERes, but with more features,
including a graded discussion page,
video tutorials, teacher-student chat
capabilities and video conferencing.
“It’s much more interactive than a lot
of people realize,” Williams explained.
Sonny Smith, Gaston Arellano, Greg Patrick Yursik/ Photographer
Hayden, and Luke Dyas are students who
Students will take CIS courses online
see Online page 3 without the presence of an instructor.
Rising college fees
make financial
assistance critical
Elections may
be a close call
By Benjamin Mackin and Alicia
Brauer
Contributing Writer and Staff
Writer
On Nov. 7 many Americans will be
casting ballots in this year’s midterm
elections. While the midterms may not get
as much coverage as a presidential election
they are still instrumental in the governing
process. The senators, representatives and
governors who will be elected could shape how
the country is run for the next several years. Voter turnout at midterm elections has
usually been lower than that of presidential
elections. According to the U.S. Census
Bureau, in the last two midterms, less
than 20 percent of Americans ages 18-24
did not participate. Lack of information
may be the reason many do not take part. Sophomore Gussie Altman said, “I do not
want to vote for candidates I am unfamiliar with,”
noting her unfamiliarity with her hometown
candidates. Also, for students who live far away
from their prospective voting booths it can be
quite a hassle doing the necessary paperwork to
procure absentee ballots. Some students do not
see the importance of the election. Junior Cliff
McRoberts said, “I’ll vote when the big deal
see Elections page 3
By Christopher Jernigan
Contributing Writer
Students feel the grind of rising tuition and inflation
Sports
Funding for higher
education is an important
determinant in whether one
is able to attend college.It
also plays a major role on the
overall price tag. However,
with today’s rising college
tuition rates, finding the
proper funding for school
is becoming more critical
so that the cost of higher
education is more affordable
for students and their families.
According to a press
release out of Washington,
D.C. made by The College
Board, “average tuition and
fees slowed for the third year
in a row, but prices are still up
35 percent from 5 years ago,
after adjusting for inflation.”
In response, the United States
Government has increased
total student aid by 3.7 percent
Life & Culture
Check out baseball
photos of the week.
u
PAGE 12
Re a d t h e s t o r y o f
o n e S p r i n g H i l l g r a d u a t e ’s
j o u r n ey t o s u c c e s s.
u
PAGE 4
to $138.4 billion in 2005-2006,
according to the Web site
CollegeBoard.com. However,
this increase was unable to
keep up with inflation and
therefore made little impact.
Currently the Federal
Government offers several
programs, loans, and grants
designed to help those in
need of financial assistance.
Presently, according to the
Scholarships and Financial
Awards page on the SHC Web
site, Spring Hill is currently
active in, but not limited to,
Federal Pell grants, Federal
Supplemental
Educational
Opportunity grants, the Federal
College Work-Study Program,
Federal Perkins (NDLS)
Student Loans, and Federal
Stafford Student Loans. Also
see Scholarships page 2
News
F i n d o u t h ow a t i ny
t ow n i n A l a b a m a h a s b e e n
placed in the spotlight.
u
PAGE 2
News
Wednesday, November 1, 2006 THE SPRINGHILLIAN
2
Amnesty attends first conference in New Orleans
By Lindsey Worley
Contributing Writer
On Nov. 3, SHC’s Amnesty International
(AI) chapter will be attending a conference
to increase awareness of human rights.
Amnesty
International
is
an
organization that conducts research and
action focused on preventing and ending
grave abuses of those rights. SHC’s chapter
focuses primarily on cases identified on
the AI International Secretariat based in
London. The group mainly does petition
drives and letter writing campaigns.
Students can catch them during one of their
movie nights to raise awareness as well.
The conference the students at SHC
are attending is the AI USA Southern
Regional Conference, and it will be held
in New Orleans from Nov. 3-5. The
conference itself has several functions:
it seeks to provide attendees with greater
knowledge of various human rights
issues (workshops include Darfur Crisis,
Human Rights at the Border, Corporate
Accountability, and the Israeli-Palestinian
Conflict, among many others), allows for
greater networking opportunities between
different chapters, and provides a venue for
participants to debate and direct AI policy.
This is the first time the chapter has
attended a conference. “We hope to take
advantage of all the resources it will make
available to us. We also believe that we
could pick up on some ways to make our
chapter more effective and organized, as well
as learn more about how AI operates on a
regional and national level” said senior John
Bennett, president of Amnesty International.
Erin Buckner, who just joined the
program this year said, “I have always been
interested in human rights, and I joined
Amnesty not only because it gets you
involved with the global community, but
because it puts you in touch with people in
your local community that are passionate
about the same things that you are.”
“We’re looking forward to the
opportunity this conference will give
us to become better at what we do. This
could well end up being a very important
growing experience for us,” Bennett said.
MTV series to show football game
played by popular Alabama team
By Rae McConville
Staff Writer
Hoover High School, nationally
known from the popular MTV show
“Two-A-Days” will play Theodore
High School Saturday Nov. 3
at 7 p.m. at THS in Theodore.
The show has followed
Alabama’s Hoover High School
football team, the Buccaneers,
from outside Birmingham, on
their quest for the 2005 6A state
championship.
The
network
decided, based on the show’s mass
popularity, to continue to follow the
team for the 2006 football season.
The show follows the
relationships between the players,
their families as well as with their
fellow students, and has become a
favorite among many Spring Hill
students. Sophomore Gabe Taylor,
who is from Cullman, Ala. (about
30 minutes from Hoover), said
he watches the show frequently.
“People in north Alabama call
Hoover, ‘Hoover
University’
because there are some colleges
that they could beat,” said Taylor,
explaining the hype around
Hoover. Taylor also explained
that he loves the show because of
its familiarity with his home, “It’s
cool to watch the show and see the
restaurants and other places that I
know, and it’s like ‘Hey I’ve been
there.’” Taylor plans to attend the
game at Theodore this Saturday.
Freshman Alli Hyde also said
she was a huge fan of the show and
her reason was strictly football. “I
am a huge football fan, whether it
is high school or college [...]” She
also said how the boys are a sense
of inspiration, “It’s just really
neat to watch these high school
boys succeed and do so well at
such a young age. Also knowing
that they are in the same state as
us here in Alabama is pretty cool,
Scholarships
from page 1
available to Alabama resident students
of Spring Hill are the Alabama
Student
Grant
Program
and
the
Alabama Student Assistance Program.
In addition to the scholarships already
available to current and prospective students,
representatives of the Development Office
say that the department is constantly
seeking new endowments to create new
scholarships for future students of Spring
Hill. The Development Office is in charge
of raising money for scholarships, general
operations, and capital for new buildings.
According to Kenneth Hokenson, vice
president of Development and College
Relations, the Development Office looks
too.” Alli said she plans to watch
the second season of the show.
For freshman Owen McNally
he said he watches the show
to remind him of high school,
“Some of the people on the team
are similar to my old basketball
team, mainly the head coach,
plus its fun following a team that
good at the high school level.”
Past Hoover High School
and Spring Hill student, Krysten
Kryket Cooper said, “Hoover is a
great place to go to school,” as for
the show she said, “I am not a fan.”
She explained that she does watch
the show, but not on a regular
basis because of the way the show
has portrayed the players and the
school. She said that the portrayal
of Coach Rush Propst, the often
hostile coach of the team, is exactly
like he is on the show “a jerk.” She
said, “He does scream at the players
(as well as the band, cheerleaders,
and fans), he does swear and
to “raise as much funds as possible for
scholarship assistance to lessen the burden
of tuition on the students and their parents.”
The Development Office does this by
working with alumni, parents, faculty, staff,
and friends of Spring Hill for these funds.
The Development Office currenlty offers
an on-campus job known as ‘Phonathon’
where students call parents, alumni, and friends
of the college to donate toward such funds.
Endowments are an important part of a
private, not-for-profit entity, such as Spring
Hill. “Because we are a private college and
do not receive state funding, such as Auburn
University or the University of Alabama,
Spring Hill College depends on endowments
for operation,” stated Julie Kraft, associate
director of Development Services. However,
some of the endowments have suffered from
Courtesy of tvrage.com
Hoover High School’s football team has been the subject of
the hit MTV show series “Two-a-Days.”
he does throw things around.”
However as far as the players go
Cooper said, “Most of them are
smart and have the desire to better
themselves,” despite the show’s
portrayal of them being “dumb
and strictly football oriented.”
“It has managed to mess up our
game,” Cooper said. She further
said that the show has turned her
the Sept. 11 tragedy and are temporarily
unavailable until the interest earned reaches
the amount of the principal, according to
Kraft. An endowment is a gift placed in
trust that typically requires the principal of
the gift remain intact, with revenues, usually
interest, from the investment of the gift used
for the purposes specified
by the donor of the gift.
Once the revenues from
the investment of the gift
reaches a certain point,
then the endowments
will be available for
use again in programs
such as scholarships.
When asked about
future
scholarships
available for students,
friends into characters on a soap
opera and has completely changed
why the boys play football,
“Before the show, football was
something sacred; something we
strived to be the best at because
we’re competitive and want to be
the best, just like anyone else,”
she said however since the show
has aired, “We’ve become cocky.”
Kraft said, “There are endowed scholarships
that are maturing every year. We continue
to create and set up funded and endowed
scholarships for the benefit of students
throughout the year.” The Development Office
is “bridging the gap,” according to Kraft and
hopes to accomodate “any student” at the Hill.
SGA
declares penny war
3
The SpringHillian Wednesday, November 1, 2006
As part of
a sophomore class service
project to support a book donation program to
a library in Bayou LaBatre, a “ Penny Wars”
competition is planned between each grade level.
Each class will have a labeled water jug located
in the campus center. The goal is that whichever
class that has the most pennies wins the competition.
In order to stop a class from gaining a lot of points by
collecting pennies, students from the opposing classes
can place nickels, dimes, quarters, and dollar bills in
the water jugs. The higher the value of the money, the
less points that class will receive. The more pennies
a class has, the more points that class will receive.
This competition will start on Nov. 13
and end on Nov. 17. Students are stongly
encouraged
to
support
the
competition. For more information on “Penny Wars,” students
may contact sophomore class senators: Chad Boykin,
Meredith Schafer, Sarah Laubinger, or Rev Saberre.
(An SGA press release submitted by Merdith
first African American senator elected in a Southern
state since Reconstruction, when the Confederate
from page 1
states were held by the federal government before
being readmitted to the Union, and also the first ever
comes up.” Whether America’s young voters African American senator to be popularly elected. come out or not, the elections will still take place. Another battleground state this election is Missouri,
Senate and House races all over the country are with incumbent Republican, Jim Talent leading
reaching a boiling point. According to projections from Democrat, Claire McCaskill by two points. A big issue
the Web site electoral-vote.com the GOP (Republican that may affect this particular ballot is embryonic stem
Party) will have the advantage in the senate 51-49, cell research. According to the Online News Hour
while Democrats look to have control of the House by PBS, McCaskill has been running a controversial
225-208. According to Media Mix online, a study commercial featuring famous actor and Parkinson’s
found that three out of four evaluations of Democrat disease sufferer and advocate Michael J. Fox, which
candidates’ chances of winning were positive compared states, “Stem cell research offers hope to millions of
with one out of eight for Republicans. They claim that Americans with diseases like Diabetes, Alzheimer’s and
most of the media coverage has been negative for the Parkinson’s. But George Bush and Michael Steele would
Republican Party stating that it has been dominated put limits on the most promising stem cell research.”
by two main themes: the effects of the Mark Foley
Maryland Senate Candidate Republican Michael
scandal, and the impact that the Bush Presidency Steele stated, “I do support stem cell research. Where
is having on the party’s congressional candidates. I have drawn the line is federal funding for research
A very controversial issue that highly affects the that destroys the embryo. And I’ve been very much an
election in this region relates to anti-gay marriage. advocate and supporter of advancing research that will
According to Online News Hour by PBS, anti-gay allow us to do what we need to do without destroying
marriage amendments are on ballots in eight states. that embryo.” Since Talent opposes stem cell research,
Two of those states feature hotly contested Senate this could help him get the religious conservative votes
races: Republican Bob Corker against Democrat Harold which may contribute to his winning in Missouri.
Ford in Tennessee; and Republican Senator George
Alabama will not have U.S. Senate elections
Allen against Democrat James Webb in Virginia. this year. The race for governor on the other
As of press time, Corker sits just ahead of Ford by hand has incumbent Bob Riley seven points
two percent in the polls. If elected, Ford will be the ahead of opponent Lt. Governor Lucy Baxley.
Elections
Public Safety reports - theft high
Compiled by James B.
Crosby
On Oct. 19, a student reported
that the right side of the fiberglass
truck bed cover on her vehicle had
been damaged. It appeared that
someone had attempted to force
the cover up and broke one of the
locking
rods. Nothing
was
taken from the vehicle. The
vehicle was parked in the
Quinlan parking lot on Oct. 17.
in the Mobile Hall parking lot.
On Oct. 20, at approximately 11:31
a.m., a faculty member walked out
of his office which is located on the
third floor of the Administration
Building and left the door standing
open. Upon returning to his office
approximately ten minutes later,
he found that someone had
removed his Hewlett-Packard
laptop computer and a brown
leather bag which was empty.
The Mobile Police Department was
notified
and
is
investigating
the
incident.
On Oct. 20, at approximately 5
a.m., a student discovered that
someone had broken off the hood
ornament on his vehicle. Scratches
were also found on the hood of the
vehicle. The vehicle was parked
On Oct. 22, at approximately 5:50
p.m., a student parked his vehicle in
the parking lot of the New Residence
Hall while going to the Recreation
Center. At approximately 7:45
p.m., it was found that someone had
Director of Public Safety and
Security
entered
the
vehicle
and
removed a Pioneer Radio/CD
player. The
Mobile
Police
Department was notified and
is investigating the incident.
On Oct. 23, at approximately 4:30
p.m., a student parked her vehicle
in the Viragh parking lot. When
she returned to her vehicle at
approximately 5 p.m., she found that
the front passenger’s door lock was
broken. Nothing
was
taken
from the vehicle. The Mobile
Police Department was notified
and is investigating the incident.
On Oct. 27, a student reported
that someone had removed
$120 from the desk drawer
located in his Toolen Hall
room. The room was not locked.
Online
News
from page 1
have been offering their input
to the program. “It gives us an
opportunity to do something
new and different that we’ll be
doing in the business world.
Williams plans on getting all the
CIS majors involved on some
level,” said Senior Sonny Smith,
who works with ITS helpdesk.
Students supporting online
classes praised them for being
easy to use. Luke Dyas, a junior,
agreed, “I’ve taken online classes.
I’m a transfer student…the ease
of it all will be really helpful.”
Students who are not skilled with
computers or the internet will
be able to access video guides
on how to navigate the Web
site. “It takes you step by step,”
said Dyas, “It’s super easy.”
The program is already in use
in the classroom this semester.
“Students are testing my system
and I’m defining it based on
student need,” Williams said.
However, some students
have raised concerns about the
quality of online learning, “I
don’t feel that online classes
provide the vital teacher-student
interaction necessary for a decent
education.”
junior
Colleen
Francis said. Dyas responded to
such concerns by saying, “I don’t
think you lose anything like that.”
Williams recalls that in the
past a lack of online courses had
deterred some graduate students
from choosing Spring Hill. The
addition of online CIS classes has
already kept one undergraduate
student
from
transferring.
Freshman Greg Hayden was
considering transferring to another
college until the school added
online classes to its curriculum.
“The reason I’m staying at Spring
Hill College is because of online
classes,”Hayden explained.Some
enthusiasts would like to see more
online courses in the coming
years. “I wish we had more
classes like this,” commented
Smith, “[..] it’s a great opportunity
to learn something new.”
Williams noted that the
nursing department, particularly
Nursing’s Instructional Design
Specialist Surenderan Naiker,
has played an instrumental role in
providing the software and equipment to put the program together.
Interested students must
seek approval from Williams
or Larriviere before registering
for CIS 115 or 381in the spring.
International News Alert
Over two million Darfur citizens are being held in displacement camps
in the desert in western Sudan. In the past three years, more than 200,000
people have died and 2.5 million have been left homeless in Darfur because
of an ongoing civil war in the country. The United States is considering
the Sudan government’s treatment of its people genocide. British Prim
Minister Tony Blair told Sudan’s vice president that if they don’t move
towards a peace deal than they may face international isolation. The U.N.
has sent 20,000 troops to replace the African Union peacekeepers in
Darfur. But, as of last week, the Sudanese government rejected the force.
(Source: Associated Press Online)
LIFE&
Wednesday, November 1, 2006 The SpringHillian
4
CULTURE
Remembering Mrs. Syltie SHC grad leads Daphne daily at 23
By Sara Miller
Life and culture editor
She spoke words of advice
to me, standard things about doing well in school and making
everyone proud. We hugged and
said good-bye to each other, until the time in which I’d return
from a successful semester and
visit my church again.
They were the last words we
ever shared with each other.
Mrs. Lee Syltie was a friend
to everyone, and was constantly
smiling, even when we were going over the same song in choir
practice for the umpteenth time
that night. She was shorter than
me, but always walked tall;
this probably came from being
one of the Women Accepted for
Volunteer Emergency Service
(W.A.V.E.S.) during World War
II, a group of women who were
among the first to occupy roles
in the Navy that were traditionally given to men. She had an
incredible sense of humor and
laughed almost as often as she
smiled. I remember distinctly a
conversation I had with her when
the movie “Pearl Harbor” had
recently come out; we discussed
the portrayal of the nurses in the
film.
“…We weren’t even allowed
overseas,” she said, before jokingly frowning as if she were
disappointed that when she was
a nurse in the W.A.V.E.S. she got
all of the work and none of the
Ben Afflecks of the Navy.
More importantly, however,
was her faith. Mrs. Syltie loved
being involved with the church,
and she loved sharing her faith
with others. I have been told
that church was the last thing
she gave up in life when she just
got too tired to get there. But she
tried until the very end, and she
never gave up her faith in God.
I found out that she had died
when I returned to my mother ’s
house briefly over summer break.
My mother got off the phone
with someone, looking unusu-
ally somber, and said the terrible words that Mrs. Syltie had
passed. At her funeral, as much
as I wanted to cry, I couldn’t; it
just felt strange to me. Likewise,
I was perplexed by the note in my
mailbox a few weeks ago that offered the opportunity to have my
deceased love one’s name on the
altar in St. Joseph Chapel during the month of November, so
that people who never knew her
could quietly pray for her afterlife without knowing why they
should do so. It all just feels so
fundamentally wrong; it’s as if
I should be upset that someone
I love is the happiest she’s ever
been, reunited with her husband
and family members who have
gone before her, just because I
don’t get to see her on this fickle
earth anymore. It feels so selfish.
Yet I cannot deny that I miss
her. I have complete faith in her
well-being, but I miss her. That
is the price of love.
Today is All Saints Day, a
day specifically for remembering the souls who have left this
earth. Such days are not for Mrs.
Syltie, for they imply that those
who knew her are only going to
remember her for one specific
day before going about their
lives. Will I say a little prayer
to thank God specifically for her
today? Of course I will. But I
know that I was blessed to meet
her, and will always be thankful
for her words of encouragement
to me, her laughter, her smile,
and her faith. Even though we
weren’t related, I still consider
her to be one of my grandmothers.
If I had known that those
words would be the last I shared
with her, I would have tried to
say something with more meaning to it, and I probably would
have failed miserably. I would
have tried my best to show
her how much I loved her. But
I didn’t know, and I have to
hope that she understood this.
If there’s a newspaper stand in
heaven, I hope she will read this
and know that I love you, Mrs.
Syltie. I’m sorry that my words
could never truly show what a
wonderful woman you were and
are.
Past SpringHillian staffer
shares story on his journey to
the editor-in-chief position of
the Daphne Bulletin newspaper
in Alabama
By Jolie Pollard
Editor in chief
T
he Boni family farm in the Belforest community, now becoming a prime residential area east
of Daphne, Alabama, has been in his family for about 200 years. But continuing
the family tradition of manually tilling
the soil under the blazing Southern heat
never appealed to Thomas Boni.
This 2005 Spring Hill graduate was
made to do something else – to write and
rewrite, to check and double-check – to
become an editor in chief.
It all began with Boni’s passion for
creative writing. While attending elementary school in Daphne, Boni would make
books – little books that he would sell to
his father for 25 cents apiece. “I would
appropriate characters from popular Disney classics,” recalled Boni, who took on
his entrepreneurial venture sometime between second and fourth grade.
Of course, Boni, in his usual meticulous ways, jokingly said he was not aware
of any copyright implications at the time.
At only 10 years old, he was obliviously mimicking newspapers. He said he
would draw pictures of teachers, classmates -- girls he liked -- and report (or
gossip) on their activities. Boni said he
would even draw frames for his photos
while adding captions.
But there was something about reporting on people that intrigued Boni in his
younger days. While many of his fellow
schoolmates may have had their entertainment feed through television, Boni
was receiving his in the mailbox. In sixth
grade, he was a devoted subscriber to Entertainment Weekly. Boni recalled, at only
12 years old, waiting with “bated breath”
to read the ratings for prime time TV
shows and for the Hollywood box-office
reports. His fondness of the entertainment
industry carried into high school where he
said he took part in plays and sang in the
choir.
Spring Hill College was not Boni’s
first choice. Although his brother and father were both past students, Boni wanted
to be independent and venture off somewhere farther from Mobile.
But in 1999, Boni’s father died. “This
was a big factor in my decision. I decided
to stay close to the family,” Boni said.
He knew Spring Hill was the right choice
for him when he walked into St. Joseph’s
Chapel for the first time. “When the sun
shone through the windows, I knew it was
home.”
In addition to fulfilling the requirements of his major in Communication
Arts with a concentration in radio, TV
and film, Boni became involved in a wide
spectrum of activities while at Spring
Hill. He received a dedication to the Multicultural Student Union award; he was
involved with the Pro-Life Club; he was
a work-study, a tutor, an editor on the
yearbook staff, a member of the Campus
Ministry and was also a member of the
SpringHillian newspaper team.
He also managed to pull off a successful internship with a financial firm during
a full semester.
His involvement with the Hillian did
not begin until his sophomore year of college. Boni said that as a freshman he was
a little scared to contribute to the college
paper. “I thought the staff was some kind
of elite people, but when I saw the grammatical errors and spelling errors, I realized I could do better – I would have few
errors or no errors,” Boni said.
So in his sophomore year, Boni said
he was no longer shy. In his fall semester Boni recalled giving a “scathing” review of a discovery channel TV show that
openly discussed women’s sexual health.
Boni said he was raised to believe
that women were supposed to be modest
and weren’t supposed to talk about “these
things.”
Since “For Women Only” was a favorite of some Spring Hill students, Boni
said some people approached him saying,
“I can’t believe you! That’s my favorite
show!”
“I really didn’t care,” said Boni, “I
loved giving out my opinions.”
However, in his junior year, Boni
eased on the opinions. He registered for
the SpringHillian, and as a staff reporter,
he began writing news stories.
In the beginning stages, Boni said he
never really liked newswriting; in fact, he
found it rather “boring.” But, that junior
year in the fall of 2004 under the leadership of Editor-in-Chief Nicole Oertli,
Boni said, “it started to click.”
And it must have clicked. Six of the
issues from that fall semester feature Boni’s hard news stories as the main headlines. Referring to a story he covered on
one campus minister ’s car being vandalized that was headlined “Campus Minissee Boni page 5
5
LIFE &
The SpringHillian Wednesday, November 1, 2006
CULTURE
Boni
life and culture editor. “There was a
problem with his scheduling,” Ricard
said. “He never made a deadline the
ter ’s vehicle ‘milked’ by vandals,” whole time we worked together!” she
Boni said that with such a headline, said jokingly. According to Ricard,
“people have to read because it’s right his late work was a source of laughter
there and that fascinated me.”
for the staff, and that after the first
Boni said he never got into any three issues, the staff found a way to
problems with his news stories. “I get around Boni’s failed deadlines.
have always been very meticulous “But I’m sure that if he’s the editor
in every thing I’ve ever done,” Boni in chief (of the Daphne Bulletin) that
said.
has all changed,” stated Ricard.
Senior Integrated Communica“I don’t want people to believe
tions major, Conor Gee, said in ref- that I’ve moved into this position beerence to Boni’s news reporting, “He cause I’m an expert because people
never picked one side; he was very can learn,” Boni said. “I look back
level-headed – he did exactly what a on SpringHillian papers and think,
reporter is supposed to do.”
‘This is ridiculous.’” Boni said that
In the fall semester of his senior he knows his Life and Culture secyear, Boni took a break from the hard tion wasn’t “a party to look at,” but
news and served as the Hillian’s life that most of his ideas that came from
and culture editor. “I wrote like every Entertainment Weekly didn’t belong
single story in there,” said Boni, “I in the newspaper. “I didn’t take the
laid it out, I wrote it, I copy-edited it SpringHillian as seriously as I prob– I did recaps of music award shows, ably should have.”
I had fun with it.”
But Boni couldn’t have done too
Traces of his childhood fascination badly of a job with the SpringHillian
with Entertainment Weekly shows in -- at least with his writing. When Boni
his pages. He had
graduated from Spring
a weekly feature
“I thought ‘Wow – I Hill College in May
of labeling most2005, he received the
could make a
ly Hollywood ceCatholic Press Award
lebrities
“good
difference, and I
– an award given to
eggs” or “bad
have this opportunity outstanding writers at
seeds”
dependSpring Hill. “It really
that so many people
ing on what acvalidated what I did. I
tion deserved the
realized that I can turn
my age have not
title according to
this into a career, that
received.”
his perceptions.
I am an award winning
-Thomas Boni
“That was just hijournalist!” Boni said.
larious!” laughed
“To be recognized that
Ingrid Alvarado,
way is a very nice
who graduated with Boni in 2005, “I honor.”
loved good egg, bad seed!”
According to Loehr, the entire facHe was also a political columnist. ulty of Spring Hill decided upon the
That fall, the Hillian featured a week- recipient of that award. “Thomas’s
ly segment titled, “One issue, two name just stood out, and he had strong
perspectives.” Boni along with copy Catholic views,” Loehr said.
editor, Nick Dupree, battled political On graduation day, Boni told Loehr
issues in type. “I got hell for my po- and his last advisor of the Springlitical columns,” laughed Boni, “but Hillian, Phil Ward, that he was going
some of my professors were very sup- to look for a job in the newspaper inportive.”
dustry.
Communication Arts Professor,
In June 2005, Boni began job
Tom Loehr, said, “ Thomas had a cer- hunting. After only one application
tain style to his writing. He seemed declined, Boni landed a job at the
to look at most issues in a different Daphne Bulletin as a staff reporter.
way – he had a way of phrasing his “I knew I was green (inexperienced),
words that well, would make you feel but I just thought that I had a Catholic
as though ‘I know I’ve thought of this Press Award and an impressive body
before.’ He wrote to get a reaction.”
of clippings, so I thought ‘why not?’’’
“Controversy sells,” said Boni Boni said.
retrospectively, “People respond“It was my first full-time job, my
ed. Some people agreed, and some first income check. I smiled all the
didn’t.”
way home. It was one of those smiles
But Boni does have his critics. that you hurt to wear because it was
Some who worked with him thought so wide,” Boni recalled dreamily.
his layout was awkward and that he “It wasn’t a grand figure, but it was
wasn’t good with meeting deadlines.
good. I was a young professional, and
2006 graduate Michelle Ricard I was one of the youngest people in
was editor in chief while Boni was the company.”
from page 4
Courtesy of Thomas Boni
Thomas Boni poses in his office at the Daphne Bulletin.
For Boni, within a couple of
months working at the Daphne Bulletin he realized that “you have to work
at a professional newspaper to understand fully how a newspaper works.”
Unlike working at the SpringHillian, Boni said “You don’t have a
small pool of sources. You don’t immediately know about all the issues
because people are gossiping. You
have to search for your news, you have
to make the effort to find sources, to
go to meetings, to find contacts.”
However, it wasn’t all smooth
sailing for Boni. He soon realized that
he had his shortcomings about four to
five months into the job. Not having
been a journalism major made it more
challenging for him. At Spring Hill,
journalism majors learn about city
government structure and functions in
their newswriting classes. Boni said
he had limited knowledge about city
governments when he first started his
job.
Boni covered hard news, city issues, and he wrote feature stories and
worked with photography as well. He
even began receiving “fan mail.” “It
makes you realize that you’re doing
a good job, you’ve done well, that
you’re not a college journalist anymore – you’re a serious news man, a
respectable journalist – I’m earning
my paycheck,” Boni said.
After covering one city issue, Boni
said he received a comment that he
considers to be one of his best. “She
was a perfect stranger and said that I
reported it (the story) fairly and objectively, and that she really appreciated that,” Boni said.
Because the media is criticized
many times for having biased report-
ers, for Boni, “There can be no greater
compliment.” “That, to me, is a good
reflection on the entire field of journalism.”
“Around the time that I became a
serious journalist, and I really paid
attention to style, word choices, and
paragraph structure. I knew – I just
knew that I was destined for editorship.”
Boni said he would get “violently
ill” when he would see AP Style errors
in a story. “I would get so frustrated
that I would almost take personal offense to redundancies.” Boni said that
he realized that he had moved beyond
reporter territory.
In late August, Boni’s editor resigned and moved on to a “different
career opportunity.” “I knew I wanted
to be the editor. I just had that feeling that chance would come. When
it finally did come, I went to see my
managing editor the same day after I
heard the news, and I applied in person for the job,” recalled Boni.
Boni found out that he was awarded the position a week after applying.
“I was in shock for the first couple of
hours. I didn’t get excited immediately. It just seemed like a big position
for someone who just graduated from
college. I thought ‘Wow – I could
make a difference, and I have this opportunity that so many people my age
have not received.”
Boni is 23 years old. He will be 24
in February. He has already taken on
the duties of the editor in chief, but
because of the company’s procedures,
he not will receive the official title
– and salary – until six months after
he serves under the title of assistant
editor.
LIFE &
Wednesday, November 1, 2006 The SpringHillian
CULTURE
6
A n ‘a r r a e’ o f s t y l e
By Rae McConville
Fashion columnist/Assistant editor
This past Saturday night, while everyone else was gallivanting
around campus with some of the most original costumes (Ms. Juanita, a hotdog with a mullet, and a priest with a schoolboy to name
a few), I was in Baton Rouge sporting a different kind of “dress
up.” I was there for a close friend’s wedding and spent much of the
ceremony and reception, doing what I do best, sizing up everyone’s
attire.
It was a snazzy event with most of the guests in sweeping gowns
and perfect little black numbers. I was in the latter, a designer piece
I picked up at such a steal I should be in jail, with my favorite pair
of vintage earrings. Despite the beautiful bride, and the lavender
bridesmaids, the attractive people ambiance of this elegant wedding
was ruined by one tragically underdressed couple. A zebra sheath
shielding back about 300 pounds of love squeezed into black trousers dancing with her husband in a peanut butter colored corduroy
suit and blue bowtie, the site was enough for me to regret my few
bites of wedding cake.
Fall formal is next week, and please don’t be the Zebra Cake
lady with her date Jif. There are
some extremely glorious and far
more fashionable options lining
the racks of Dillards, Parisian,
and other less expensive chains
like Marshall’s and T.J. Maxx.
Because it is the beginning of the
holiday season, a lot are heavily
marked down.
If budget is a bugger, try to
be creative and hit up Seconds of
Sage, the Junior League consignment store on Sage Avenue. My
friend Rachal snapped up a 1980s
green satin gown for less than
$4, and once the old lady green
sequined sleeves were cut off, it
looked straight up amazing.
The important thing to restyle.com
member when dressing for any
We can all dream of wearing
formal event is the same that apthis to Fall Formal. From Zac
plies for looking stylish in the
Posen’s 2007 Spring Ready to
day: start with something that
Wear collection.
has good bones (something simple) and customize it with things
that shows your personality and make the outfit you. A little black
dress or something cut simply in satin work as great bases and allow
you to make either as dressy or semi-dressy as you want to be.
Another place to find lower cost formal attire is the brand new
boutique Lotus at Bel Air Mall. Owned by the same trendy people
as local bag mecca Purse Picasity, this lovely new addition to the
Mobile fashion scene has all the trends for fall including a selection of evening attire. Despite stocking some of the most sought
after pieces for this season, Lotus also has really reasonable prices
around $25 to $65. Their jewelry is nice quality and super cute, my
friend scored some great teal and taupe leopard hoops for $6. Get
dressed up Spring Hill and look fabulous!
Gaston Arellano/ Assistant Photographer
Assistant Director of Admissions Fernando Rodrigues shows his mad ping pong skills.
T h e ‘ H o r r o r ’s c o p e s
Aries (3/21-4/19)
You are a terror in the night, swooping out
of the shadows at unsuspecting miscreants. When you appear before them, they
will soon change their views. Keep up the
good work, Darkwing Duck.
Taurus (4/20-5/20)
You will be cursed this week by a person
following you around the jungle who insists on saying “dude” all the time. If this
gets too annoying, you can always point
in a random direction and say his friend
Dave went that way .
Gemini (5/21-6/21)
You set out to achieve a task of epic proportions this week, a task that involves
much fretting about performance and making the mood in a special moment in time
absolutely perfect. Don’t worry; you’ll get
your novel finished this month, provided
you keep your mind out of the gutter.
Cancer (6/22-7/22)
This week, beware those with silver hair,
large swords, and a hobby that involves
lots of blood and destruction. You may
be able to show off your sweet fighting
moves, but is it really worth risking the
entire planet’s destruction?
Leo (7/23-8/22)
A terrible distraction ruins the mood you
were trying to create tonight. What could
have been the time you have been looking
forward to in your bed has now become
an angry rant against the trash crew that
insists on emptying the dumpster outside
your window at 12:27 a.m. You’ll get back
to your slumber when you get your mind
out of the gutter.
Virgo (8/23-9/22)
Oh great. Someone released the sorceress from her prison chamber on the moon.
Now the only hope for humanity lies in
some teenagers in multi-colored spandex
body suits and strange helmets. What evil
has been unleashed on humanity?
Libra (9/23-10/22)
Random relatives will be calling you this
week, having some strange premonition of
the poor college student in trouble! Once
you assure them that they’re overreacting,
you’ll be able to get back to starting on
that huge project that’s due tomorrow.
Scorpio (10/23-11/21)
Something arises from the gutters of the
city, and it catches the attention of a woman eager to have a new story of conquest
to tell. After all, it’s really hard to get a
good news story about four ninja turtles
living in the sewers, even though there are
many with minds already in the gutter.
Sagittarius (11/22-12/21)
A teen in a green tank top with an apparent enjoyment of blowing himself up will
visit you this week, demanding to know
how many times he has to kill some girl
and her puppy. He doesn’t have to kill
anymore, but he should probably run
from that crazy blond woman who keeps
screaming his name.
Capricorn (12/22-1/19)
This week features a strange half-cyborg
with badly-dyed hair visiting your spaceship and claiming “All your base are belong to us.” Fortunately, great justice is
on your side, and the half-cyborg’s army
can’t understand his nonsensical babble.
Aquarius (1/20-2/18)
You have difficulty getting it to work today, which causes frustration when your
desire demands that it work to its fullest
potential. Don’t worry; the card-swiping
machine in the caf will work eventually,
and you’ll be able to eat your lunch without any more incidents, provided you get
your mind out of the gutter.
Pisces (2/19-3/20)
It may seem like you’ll never rescue that
princess from the castle where she is imprisoned, but your day will come. Eat
plenty of mushrooms, and beware of the
random turtles and plants with teeth.
7
LIFE &
The SpringHillian Wednesday, November 1, 2006
CULTURE
‘Marie Antoinette’: Sofia Coppola films a mythic icon
By Anna Plovanich
Contributing writer
Film critics are divided in opinion as to the quality of Sofia Coppola’s
new movie “Marie Antoinette”, which made its national debut in theaters two
weeks ago. The sensuously-filmed movie chronicles the Austrian princess’s
life from her introduction to the palace of Versailles to the tense beginnings
of the French Revolution. Hollywood starlet Kirsten Dunst plays the innocent
young dauphine of France alongside Coppola’s quirky cousin Jason Schwartzman as Louis XVI. This is not the Kirsten Dunst we know from “Spiderman”
or “Bring It On” (sorry, Dr. Morgan), but the dedicated actress from deeper
and more mature movies like “The Virgin Suicides” and “Eternal Sunshine of
the Spotless Mind.”
The aesthetically-pleasing film focuses on the excess and intrigue of court
life at Versailles, and less about the more important political aspects of the
throne. Marie Antoinette is portrayed as a character deserving of empathy,
rather than the harsh criticism that historians want to give her. As her mother ’s pawn, she enters blindly into a world of lush extravagance at the tender age of 14 when she is married off to Louis XVI. Immediately after his
grandfather ’s death in 1774, Louis and his new queen are thrown into power.
It is not difficult to see why such a naïve young thing like Marie Antoinette
becomes lost in a life of endless masquerade balls, glamorous costumes and
teetering wigs.
“Marie Antoinette” seems to target
a younger crowd of musically knowledgeable teens and 20-somethings. In
essence, the movie is like an extended
music video set to the beat of new
wave anthems and classical masterpieces. For example, the impressive
two-disc soundtrack boasts a variance
of artists, including Adam and the
Ants, The Strokes, and Vivaldi. Visually, Marie Antoinette is spectacular as well. In one memorable scene,
cameras pan a bubbling champagne
fountain and a delicious assortment of
pastel-colored pastries as decadentlydressed courtiers party with the queen
until the wee hours of morning. In another scene, Bow Wow Wow’s “I Want
Candy” plays in the background while
the big screen displays a delicate array of shoes Copolla commissioned
from Manolo Blahnik, the Spanish
designer made infamous by Carrie
imdb.com
Bradshaw’s weakness for footwear on
“Sex and the City”. Critic Todd McCarthy accurately describes the cinematography of “Marie Antoinette”: “‘Let
them have eye candy’ pretty much sums up Sofia Coppola’s approach to her
revisionist and modernist take on the famous royal airhead who in the end lost
her head.”
As for the plot and dialogue, there is not much to speak of for either.
“Marie Antoinette” may do a fabulous job of capturing the luxurious life at
Versailles, but it leaves a little to be desired regarding life outside the palace.
Suddenly, French citizens are rioting on the grounds of the palace, the movie
ends abruptly, and the audience members find themselves wondering why.
Several critics have been blunt with their negative views on Dunst’s acting
and Coppola’s (perhaps failed) efforts. Film-Forward.com critic Kent Turner
goes as far as to say that “by ending ‘Marie Antoinette’ in 1790, three years
before the queen would be sentenced to death, the film deflates the reason why
she is a compelling figure, if at all. Her courage during her confinement, her
plan to escape with her family from prison and her ultimate death made her an
honorary member of the Dead Blonde Hall of Fame. Her victimization made
her an icon.” Instead of paying attention to Marie Antoinette’s more important
facets, Coppola depicts the early life of a young queen. The point that Sofia
Coppola is trying to make is that Marie Antoinette was, as the Hollywood Reporter puts it, “a human with flaws and passions like the rest of us.” History
buffs may not favor it much, but any girl that ever dreamt of living the lavish
life of a princess will appreciate and enjoy “Marie Antoinette.”
If you want to see an authentic historical portrayal of Marie Antoinette’s
part in the French Revolution or of you’re waiting to see Kirsten Dunst get her
head cut off, don’t bother. But, if you want to indulge in a colorful candyland
of shoes and champagne, “Marie Antoinette”, a “flawed but admirable attempt
to give us the view from inside the gilded cage” according to Rob Thomas of
Wisconsin’s Capital Times, comes highly suggested.
imdb.com
Louis XVI (Jason Schwartzman) and Marie Antoinette (Kirsten Dunst) in Sofia
Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette,” currently playing at Hollywood Theatres.
LIFE &
Wednesday, November 1, 2006 The SpringHillian
CULTURE
Mobile: A fresh perspective
By Doug Bruce
Columnist
I spent this past weekend wandering around downtown Mobile. I
was working with some other talented SHC students to complete
a 48-hour “film scramble” for the
Mobile Arts Council. Aside from
the pressure of writing, directing,
and editing a film over a weekend
(in my opinion, a good short film
should take at least two months to
produce), I was able to really enjoy
a part of Mobile I had never seen
before. I promise you, I am not getting an under the table bribe from
the city officials of tourism commerce, but the downtown area is
very beautiful and extremely photogenic. There are, in fact, places
beyond Wal-Mart…
Many of the people I met while
shooting were not only helpful, but
also encouraging. With the excep-
tion of a member of local law enforcement, I had an extraordinary
time working with people involved.
Unfortunately, I cannot say that I
have ever experienced that on the
streets of Chicago. One of the cool
things about a film scramble is you
are given a genre, a story topic, and
an odd prop, all of which you must
incorporate into your final product.
This teaches filmmakers to think on
their toes, and that is a necessary
skill. Ultimately, for this project,
the goal was to showcase the downtown area; so I did this by shooting an action-based, cynical film
noir about scandalous crime and the
mystique of the femme fatale, thus
showing the French-Spanish architecture that makes the streets glow
with historical class. I’m told that
it looks a lot like New Orleans, although I have no basis for comparison because I’ve never been there.
Thus, this week all I really have
to say is that I am very impressed
with this city, and I look forward
to creating and relating to all it has
to offer in the future. Oh, and as
a shameless plug: my (five minute)
film premieres downtown on Friday
evening. So if you have nothing
else to do, please contact me for
more information.
C a l e n d a r
Sara Miller/ Life and culture editor
o f
E v e n t s
Date
Details
Time
Wednesday, Nov. 1
“Resurgence of the Bozart:
Challenging the
Southern Art Stereotype”
6 p.m.
Byrne Hall
Wednesday, Nov. 1
TKE Week Auction
9 p.m.
Lower Commons
Thursday, Nov. 2
All Soul’s Day Mass
7:30 a.m.
Sodality Chapel
Thursday, Nov. 2
All Soul’s Day Mass
12:15 p.m.
St. Joseph Chapel
Thursday, Nov. 2
TKE Week
Powder Puff Football
9 p.m
Library Field
Friday, Nov. 3
Continental Breakfast
8:15 a.m.
Gautrelet Room
Friday, Nov. 3
Arts Alive!
5 p.m.
Downtown Mobile
Friday, Nov. 3
Saints and Sinners Party
Buses leaving at 8:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Walsh Hall
Tuesday, Nov. 7
Jesus Christ Superstar
7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 1
All Saint’s Day Mass
5 p.m.
Location
St. Joseph Chapel
Lecture by Barclay McConnell
Meet visiting high school seniors and
their families.
“Lights, Camera, Interaction!”
Tickets are $5.
Starring Ted Neeley as Jesus and
Corey Glover as Judas
Tickets are $44.50 and $49.50, plus
facility fees.
Mobile Civic Center
8
9
Opinions&
The SpringHillian Wednesday, November 1, 2006
Editorials
Note from the editor
K e l l e y ’ s m e t h o d o f SThe
pringHillian
voicing concern in
Mobile’s First
p a p e r w a s ‘ w i t h o u t Collegiate
Newspaper
tact’ says CPB member
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
Dear Editor:
I have hardly had time
between my coloring, recess,
and nap to submit a response to a
letter criticizing SHC events last
week. However, I thought that
the attack on students who plan
events was without much tact.
If one were to have an issue
with the way an organization plans
events, then the proper procedure
to achieve change is to approach
the members at a meeting and
then maybe their advisor. I do
not think that calling out the work
out of other students in the paper
is the appropriate first move.
CPB meetings are open to
all, and input is taken seriously
and with respect. Additionally,
CPB operates under the policies
and Ethos of Spring Hill College;
therefore, there maybe many
different limitations between the
critics ideals, and those of SHC.
Respectfully submitted,
Doug Bruce
R e a d e r s h a re s t h o u g h t s
on editor’s call, campus
events and... football
Dear Editor:
There have been many questions raised regarding the appearance of
a certain editorial in the October 25th edition of the Hillian. It seems to
have stirred up quite a controversy. Let me be the first to say this. Jolie
Pollard made the right decision in letting the article go forward unabridged
and unedited. If you read the majority of papers that are produced in this
country, you can certainly find letters sent in by members of the public
that are written in the exact same tone. The role of the journalist is to
lay everything out on the table, and then let the audience decide what
choice to make. Pollard followed that principle to the letter. She did no
wrong and does not deserve to be criticized for this. After all, all she
was doing was operating along the principle of free speech, something
that our fighting men and women have been dying to protect since 1776.
As for the article by Mr. Daniel Kelley itself, I have a few observations
to note. Personally, I would not have written the article in the tone in
which it was written. I must also say that I did find it rather amusing
when I first read it. There are some priceless one-liners contained within
the piece. I would also like to say that I am in partial agreement with
part of his article and partial disagreement. What I will say is that he was
exercising his constitutional right to free speech when he wrote that article.
You can take issue with the content or how it was presented, but the fact
of the matter is, the bedrock principle on which our nation was founded,
the greatest nation to ever exist in the history of the world, is the principle
of free speech. There are valid points to be made in that article, though
honestly, it can be distilled into a question of how we would like the future
of this institution to play out. It is a debate worth having, though we would
all do well to tone down on the incendiary rhetoric and have a discussion
based on the issue of what where we would like this school to be in 2025.
It should be said however, that taking on a role of leadership or
see Thoughts on page 10
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (251) 380-3850
or 380-3840
FAX: (251) 460-2185
Editor in Chief
Jolie Pollard
jlpollard@ stumail.shc.edu
News Editor
Kerrie McNamara
[email protected]
Life & Culture Editor
Sara Miller
smmiller@ stumail.shc.edu
Sports Editor
Katelyn Olewinski
[email protected]
Photographer/Assistant Editor
Patrick Yursik
[email protected]
Assistant Editor/
Student Reaction Editor
Alicia Brauer
[email protected]
Assistant Editor/
Fashion Columnist
Rae McConville
[email protected]
Advertising Manager/
Editor Emeritus
Lindsay Mott
[email protected]
Advisor
Stuart Babington
sbabington@ stumail.shc.edu
Publisher
Rankin Publishing
7401 Spencer Rd
Irvington, Al 36544
off: (251) 824-3162
FAX: (251) 824-2854
Reminder:
Opinions expressed in this
publication do not
necessarily reflect those of the
SpringHillian staff.
By Jolie Pollard
Editor in chief
On Thursday, President Bush
signed the “Secure Fence Act
of 2006.” In his statement at the
White House, he said, “The bill
authorizes the construction of
hundreds of miles of additional
fencing” along the southern border.
He said since his presidency, 6
million people have been deported
back to their home countries
Although this Act lays out
what other measures will be taken
in order to “protect the American
people” and “make our borders
more secure,” it has been criticized
for not detailing how the Bush
administration plans to pay for
this gigantic fence - considering
the high debt incurred possibly
from the funding of the “war on
terror.” He said that since he has
taken office, his administration
have “more than doubled funding
for border security -- from $4.6
billion in 2001 to $10.4 billion
this year.” However, he didn’t tell
us how much border security on
this particular project would cost.
But, the fence seems gigantic
in that the Berlin Wall was 103
miles long, the Great Wall of China
is 2,175 miles long, and this fence
is supposed to be 700 miles long.
Perhaps it’ll become another tourist
attraction when I’m old and feeble
or when my kids are... I wonder
what kind of stories people will
tell when they hold a piece of it in
their hands. I’ve held a piece of
the Berlin wall, a dark feeling does
come over you when you touch that
thing - even if you never landed a
foot in East or West Germany.
But, Democrats as well as
Vicente Fox, former president of
Mexico have been using the Berlin
Wall as a popular comparison for
this fence. This is a cunning tactic
by the liberals to instantly attribute
negative images to the project -brilliant in light of the upcoming
senatorial elections. I mean they
could have tried The Great Wall of
China right? But, because ‘Great’
is in there, that might have been
a tad too positive… or maybe
it’s because 103 miles is closer
to 700? Although the Great Wall
of China doesn’t have a joyous
history, having been built under
cruel regimes by poor peasants just
like the brick churches were built
by slaves in the Caribbean, and the
pyramids built by tortured slaves
in Egypt, the Berlin Wall tends to
have a stronger sense of evil to it
upon listening to the utterance of
the words without having to do any
research -- at least for many of us
in the West. Is it right to compare
this fence to the Berlin Wall? When
people tried to jump over the Berlin
Wall and got caught, they were
instantly shot dead. Conflicting
reports have it that either 192 or 239
people died while trying to escape.
According to Bush, the bill
authorizes “more vehicle barriers,
checkpoints and lighting” to help
prevent people from entering the
country illegally. It also authorizes
the “use of advanced technology,
like cameras and satellites and
unmanned aerial vehicles” to
reinforce infrastructure at the border.
I’m now getting this kind
of militant image in my head
although he makes no mention of
weapons. I suppose he’s hoping
that it wouldn’t come to that. With
an intimidating fence there, people
should be deterred from climbing
over, and there will be no need for
fire, right? I don’t know, but I fear
that the situation could get ugly.
There seems to be more danger
in climbing a fence than trying
to sneak through immigration
with
false documents or
swimming across the Rio Grande.
Near the end of his speech,
Bush noted a temporary worker
plan as an attempt to “reduce
pressure at the border.” “Willing
workers ought to be matched
with willing employers to do jobs
Americans are not doing for a
temporary -- on a temporary basis.”
I suppose the Bush administration
will be the “willing employers”
who will be matched with their
“willing” Mexican employees
who will build the fence as a
“temporary” job. I wonder what
stories those fence builders will tell.
Opinions&
R eaction
Editorials
Student
“What do you think
about campus events?”
“I think that CPB tries to have events
that appeal to students. If students
don’t like the events, suggest new
ones!”
-Catherine Karam ‘07
“I agree with Danny Kelley...Spring
Hill College or Spring Hill High? The
campus events are a joke!”
-Lawrence LeBon ‘08
“I really thought the concert was
great! The band was amazing!”
-Paul Terrabonne ‘10
“I feel like I am back in highschool or
gradeschool sometimes with events
and activities. I think people need
to speak out more about what they
want.”
-Libby McGinn ‘10
“CPB is putting on great events!!!
Danny doesn’t know what he’s talking
about!”
-Jake Keane ‘08
“CPB needs to appeal more to the
twenty-one and over crowd. I went to
a concert at Emory and there was a
free keg!”
-Brian Patterson ‘08
Compiled by Alicia Brauer
Wednesday, November 1, 2006 The SpringHillian
10
Reader responds to Kelley s a y s , ‘ D o n’t b a s h b o u n c i n g .’
Dear Editor:
In response to last week’s article by Danny
Kelly, I must say he was a bit insensitive. First of all,
I am a huge aficionado of bounce houses. In fact, I
own a significant amount of stock in a company that
manufactures and rents bounce houses to parties
and events that want to defy the laws of gravity in
safe, clean and above all, bouncy environments.
It is schools like Spring Hill that keep the
bouncing business on the up and up. And, I am
extremely encouraged by the fact that Spring Hill
has lowered the required GPA for many of its
scholarships to 2.5 (they must have gotten my e-mail)
hopefully meaning less studying and more bouncing.
It isn’t just the bouncing at Spring Hill of which
I am a supporter; it is also waiting in line at the Old
Shell gate at night. And as I sit in the car, I can’t
help but smile and know that our campus is safe and
that this is the last entrance to the school. Checking
Thoughts
from page 9
any role that has a public face
necessarily means that you should
have a thick skin. If a public figure
reacted viscerally to every mean
thing said about him or her, they
would soon cease being public
figures. I personally would like to
have a career in politics. I am fully
aware that things will be said about
me that I would rather not be said. I
know that my opponent will try and
drag my name through the gutter.
That is the name of the game.
However, as a committed disciple
of Christ, and as a person who has
a great amount of integrity, I can
know that the truth of who I am
will always outweigh the attacks of
those who would try and represent
me as something other than I am.
Part of mature leadership is
keeping in touch with the better
angels in your nature, even when
something mean and nasty is said
about you. Know that if what
people is saying about you is true,
the truth will come to light. Know
that if what people say about you is
false, then who you truly are will
always shine through, and your
accusers will be exposed for what
they are. The primary principle of
Christian leadership is that when
you are attacked, you do not just get
to attack right back, because that is
not what Jesus would have done.
Also know that, considering
all persons at the gate certainly is not an exercise
in futility because I’m pretty sure there is a 10 feet
tall barbed wire fence along the field that is parallel
to the Avenue of the Oaks. Because it definitely
isn’t an unfenced field, with a convenient parking
lot and a direct path to the school; that would make
waiting in line at Old Shell just a little ridiculous.
It’s all good at Spring Hill. There is reason to
complain here Danny. Everything at Spring Hill
is super cool, and when life gives you lemons you
should make lemonade. Like I realize that everything
is being done for the benefit of bouncing. For
instance, realize that there is more than enough time
for a Spring Hill student to study to maintain a 2.5
GPA while waiting in line at Old Shell, which means
more time for bouncing!! And that is why I came to
college…oh yeah, and to be someone’s huck buddy.
Matt J. Sullivan
that we are a Christian school in
the Catholic faith tradition, that to
a degree, the expectations that we
should be living our life as Christ
would are even more amplified.
Let us now take the opportunity that
has been presented to us of where
we would like our school to go.
Do we want it to be a more
traditional college experience, or
are we more inclined to the new
age view of things? How should
the student body’s money be
managed? -- Another insightful
question to ask. I personally am
of the opinion that a more lenient
manner of fundraising should be
permitted for student organizations.
Another question worth asking:
Is there anything wrong with
the atmosphere here at Spring Hill?
Now, I am just voicing my opinion
as a committed Christian and as a
man who wants the best for us all,
but it is my belief that if there is
anyone who feels left out at Spring
Hill then honestly, we are not being
who we are called to be. At a school
as small as this and as close-knit as
we are, not a single person should
ever feel left out of anything.
It is very possible that we have a
long and arduous debate ahead of us.
Let us always be mindful of
the fact that each and every one of
us here are human beings. We are
equal to each other in the eyes of
God. We need to keep that in mind
as we move forward. And just so
it cannot be said that I am making
an argument for which I am not
willing to execute the principles
thereof, let me be the first to bring
up a topic for this discussion
that I believe we need to have.
I believe that it would be well
worth the while of Spring Hill to
bring back football to this campus.
We are a campus composed
primarily of Southerners and
Midwesterners, places where
football is king. Bringing back
football to this school would
fundamentally change this school
for the better, and not only that, it
would make a decent amount of
money for the school. I believe that
the Mobile community would be
more than willing to support Spring
Hill football. Mobile strongly
supported SouthAlabama basketball
in their incredible run last year.
In closing, I would just like to
say that it is incumbent upon each
of us to work for the kind of school
that we think this ought to be.
With God’s graces and blessings,
I believe we will be able to find
the course that is right for us.
C. Anderson Romagnano
Contributing Writer
(and American Legend)
Please set a limit of 500 words in your letters
sent to the editor. -- Thanks, The SpringHillian
11 Wednesday, November 1, 2006
Opinions&
The SpringHillian
A t t e mStu
p tdsent ot s t a b i l i z e I r a q o n t h e e d g e
By John Bennett
Columnist
At this point, no one should be under any
false impressions about the state of Iraq. The
sectarian violence in that country has spiraled
out of control, despite intense efforts on the part
of the U.S. and Iraqi militaries to curtail it. If the
security situation doesn’t improve significantly
in the next several months, the American mission
to bring stability and democracy to Iraq will fail.
Baghdad is the epicenter of the war. This is
not only because of the large number of violent
acts taking place there, but also because it is the
seat of the government and the center of gravity
around which the rest of Iraq revolves. Since
the British occupation of Iraq in the 1920s,
control of Baghdad has meant control of the
rest of the country. That remains the case today.
The Bush administration and the military
are acutely aware of this, and have made
significant efforts to secure the city over the
past 12 weeks. Their efforts, however, have not
been enough. The U.S. military command in
Iraq acknowledged last week that its campaign
to win back control of Baghdad from sectarian
death squads and insurgents failed to reduce
violence in the city, and the military is scrambling
to come up with an alternative approach.
Some elements of that plan are taking
shape now, and factor into the “timetable”
that is being drawn up between American
and Iraqi officials. While few details of the
timetable have been made public, it supposedly
sets benchmarks for achieving security and
governance-related goals over the next 12 to 18
months. No one knows what a failure to achieve
these goals will mean for the U.S. military
force; President Bush and Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld both insist that the timetable
Editorials
isn’t designed to punish the Iraqi government
or set deadlines for the withdrawal of American
troops. One American general, however, has
said that if the Iraqi government fails to make
progress toward these goals, the role of U.S.
forces in Iraq will have to be re-evaluated.
I have long hesitated to label the sectarian
violence in Iraq as constituting a civil war.
While many of the active death squads have
common religious identities, they’ve always
been too disorganized to emerge as two or
more opposing fronts. Thus, Iraq currently
resides in a sort of chaos, rather than civil war.
But, this will not go on forever. Fear is
heightened by unpredictability, especially
when it comes to violence. By forming
united groups with common enemies, people
gain a level of clarity about who to be afraid
of and who to fight. Large united fronts also
have much greater chances of achieving
their goals than do fractured militias.
If people feel that they have no choice
but to take sides in a civil war, they will
do so. Our job right now is to do all that
we can—whatever that might be—to make
a civil war less preferable. If we cannot,
there will be no second chance. This is it.
The
SpringHillian
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
The SpringHillian needs an EDITOR IN CHIEF
for the Spring 2007 semester.
If interested, submit a cover letter along with a resume to Communication Arts
Division Secretary Dottie Hempfleng by
November 30.
Candidates must be willing to work long hours, handle stress, controversy and have a willingness to sacrifice a healthy body and personal relationships.
12
The SpringHillian Wednesday, November 1, 2006
Sports
UPCOMING GAMES Baseball: Photos of the week
TEAM
DATE
OPPONENT
SITE
MS
Nov. 1
Thomas University
VB
Nov. 1
Loyola GCAC
SHC
WCC
Nov. 4
NAIA Championship
Clinton, MS
VB
Nov. 3
MCC
Nov. 4
WB
Nov. 6
MB
VB
NAIA Championship
A.U.M.
SHC
Clinton, MS
SHC
Nov. 6
Louisiana - Lafayette
Lafayette, LA
Nov. 11
TBA
TBA
Nov. 10
VB
Mobile GCAC
SHC
TBA
TBA
KEY
WS - Women’s Soccer
WCC - Women’s Cross Country
MB - Men’s Basketball
WB - Women’s Basketball
MG - Men’s Golf
VB - Volleyball
WG - Women’s Golf
MS - Men’s Soccer
MCC - Men’s Cross Counrty
RECENT RESULTS
TEAM
MG
DATE
Oct. 31
OPPONENT
TBA
OUTCOME
TBA
MS
MG
WS
MG
VB
VB
WS
Oct. 30
Oct. 30
Oct. 29
Oct. 29
Oct. 28
Oct. 28
Oct. 27
Univ. of Mobile
TBA
Loyola University
TBA
St. Francis
Martin Methodist
Univ. of Mobile
L: 0-4
TBA
W: 1-0
TBA
L: 1-3
L: 0-3
L: 1-3
VB
Oct. 27
Georgetown College
L: 0-3
VB
Oct. 27
Indiana Univ. Southeast
W: 3-0
ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
Ashley Aucoin
Basketball
Courtesy of SHC Web site
Tyler Milton
Soccer
Courtesy of SHC Web site
Congratulations!
Patrick Yursik/Photographer
Patrick Yursik/Photographer
The baseball team’s “Purple and White” series continued this weekend. It is a best
of seven series that will continue through Nov. 6. The pictures above show the
star ting pitchers for Sunday’s game. On the left for the Purple Team was Danny
Cashin and on the right for the White Team was Mike Scanio.