Feb. 20 Issue

OLYMPICS HIGHS AND LOWS SPORTS 2B

Feb. 20, 2014

Volume 82, Issue 22

Alabama ranks low in academic achievement

AT SECOND GLANCE

Science lab procedures allow for safe observation

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A recent 2014 survey conducted by the Education Week Research Center indicated Alabama is below par in several categories pertaining to academic achievement.

Alabama ranked number 44 out of 50 states with an overall grade of C- in the Chance for Success category. This section captures the importance of education in a person’s lifetime from cradle to career, according to the report.

Assistant Professor of Mathematics Mary Jane Prude said she believes the education department as well as the mathematics department is trying to equip students with knowledge needed to go out an teach.

“We could definitely strengthen our teacher education, especially in the math department,” she said. “We would like to establish more classes on how to teach —we want to build the fundamentals of arithmetic.”

The study indicated Alabama scored 46 out of 50 states for an overall grade of D- in K-12 academic achievement.

The categories with the lowest scores were fourth and eighth grade reading and math.

Fourth grade and eighth grade math scores in the state of Alabama totaled 29.8 percent and 19.7 percent on a National Assessment of Education Statistics proficiency scale.

These scores rank Alabama with lowest and second lowest math scores in the nation, according to the report.

“Right around third grade is when students begin having trouble in math because it requires a higher order of thinking,” Prude said. “That’s where we really need good math teachers — in elementary grades.”

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this week’s paper

Student newspaper of the University of North Alabama

CAMPUS

EDUCATION

INSIDE

www.FlorAla.net

JASMINE FLEMING

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From insects to human body parts to chemicals, Floyd Hall’s science labs are equipped with plenty of specimens for students to safely study and observe.

The possibility of students getting injured during labs is very rare, said Donald Roush, professor of biology.

“When we used to use open flames, occasionally we’d get somebody that might try to set their hair on fire, but we don’t use open flames anymore so we don’t have that problem,” Roush said. “We do have (students who accidentally) touch a hot plate or something, and they can get a burn — but we’ve not even had a significant number of those incidents to speak of because we do emphasize safety whenever the hot plates are out.”

Although more dangerous

chemicals used to be kept on campus, it is no longer the case, Roush said.

“We do not store a lot of dangerous chemicals for any length of time,” Roush said. “There were faculty that were here many years ago that had chemicals, pesticides and herbicides that they were studying in large containers, and nobody was using them. We paid to have a company come in and collect all of it and recycle it.”

Supplying labs with materials is costly, said Paul Kittle, department chair of biology.

“The department of biology spends about $100,000 for lab materials each academic year,” Kittle said. “These funds are derived from the course fees that students pay when they enroll in our laboratories.”

Science majors genererally build up a tolerance for anything

;MM ;+1-6+- XIOM ) photo by ALLI OWNBY I Chief Photographer

A squid, some earthworms, and a scorpion live inside jars within one of the biology labs for students to study and observe.

CONSTRUCTION

New Commons opening date officially set for Feb. 24 PACE HOLDBROOKS 6M_[ -LQ\WZ VM_[(NTWZITI VM\

photo by ROGER WANG I Staff Photographer

Workers move the counters for Frostbite into the Commons Friday, Feb. 14. The Commons will officially open Monday, Feb. 24.

NEWS................2A PUZZLES.............5A VIEWPOINTS.........7A

SPORTS...........1B LIFE...............5B EXTRA.............8B

Officials have decided to push the opening of The Commons back until Monday, Feb. 24.

Weather problems could potentially push the opening date back further, said Project Manager Lee Handley.

“We’re shooting for it and we believe we’re going to make it,” Handley said.

Senior Jacob Chapman, a bookstore employee, hopes students remain patient while waiting for the building to be open.

“With a major construction project like this, it’s not surprising to me that delays happen,” Chapman said. “A single hiccup in the process can back up the whole job. Sometimes you just can’t make progress until certain things are in place.”

As of press time, Chick-filA, Starbucks, Frostbite and Listerhill Credit Union have moved into their new spaces within the building at their own discretion.

Currently, the university offices that have a space in the building are in the process of moving.

While Starbucks will open on Feb. 24, Chick-fil-A’s opening

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DO YOU KNOW SGA? ...2A

Please recycle your paper.

2A NEWS

JOBS

Unemployment rate sparks student concern ASHLEY REMKUS

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Although the rate was down from 9.9 percent in December 2009, unemployment and job availability are still issues college students are facing in 2014.

With the U.S. unemployment rate at 6.7 percent in December 2013, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, many students are concerned about finding jobs after graduation.

Senior Mackenzie Tucker is nervous about finding a job in today’s market, he said.

“The unemployment rate concerns me,” Tucker said. “But it’s job availability that really makes me nervous about finding a job in my field because I’m a film major.”

Melissa Medlin, director of Career Planning and Development, often observes and counsels students who are nervous about finding a job after graduation.

“Jobs are definitely not plentiful right now,” Medlin said.

However, students can find a job doing almost anything. Even if the job market is not plentiful for a certain major in the Shoals area, there are other geographic locations where those jobs can be found, Medlin said.

Tucker plans to move another area to find a job, he said.

“I probably won’t be able to find a job around Florence or in Alabama, but there are jobs in other places, so I’ll follow the work,” Tucker said.

Freshman Sha Barnes, a culinary arts major, is willing to move away to have a job, she said.

“I know there aren’t many jobs (available) in my field, but people will always need food so I could always have a job somewhere, no matter what the unemployment rate is,” Barnes said.

Some younger students are also considering the lack of job availability when declaring a major, Medlin said.

“Many students have seen their parents and grandparents go through the recession and lose jobs or have a difficult time finding a job,” she said. “So, many of them are choosing a major based on which fields they think they can get a job in.”

Freshman Sarah Tillery has considered changing her major from pre-dentistry to make her more likely to find a job, she said.

“I’m nervous about finding a job after college, especially going into the medical field,” Tillery said. “I’ve considered changing my major to nursing just so it’ll be easier to find a job.”

Students need to begin preparing for life after graduation well in advance, Medlin said.

“Applying for jobs at least one year out from graduation is important to ensure having a job after graduation,” she said. “Students also need to have done something besides go to class while they were in college if they want employers to hire them.”

Editor’s note: To read the rest of this story, please visit www. florlala.net

Feb. 20, 2014 • The Flor-Ala

SGA

WHO ARE YOU?

25 STUDENTS

This chart illustrates the number of students out of the 100 polled who were able to recognize and name executive members of the Student Government Association.

RECOGNIZED HIM

17 STUDENTS 15 STUDENTS

RECOGNIZED HER

RECOGNIZED HER

8 STUDENTS RECOGNIZED HIM

LAURA GILES SGA PRESIDENT

NIKKI MESSER VP OF SENATE

WALTER HARTLEY VP OF UPC

MAURICE MULL FRESHMAN FORUM ADVISER photos courtesy of SGA and Walter Hartley

SGA leaders discuss visibility poll results PACE HOLDBROOKS

6M_[ -LQ\WZ VM_[(NTWZITI VM\ After interviewing SGA members for other articles this year, we know that one of their goals is to increase their visibility among the campus community.

Following that logic, we decided to poll 100 students to see if they could recognize some of SGA’s members.

Last week members of The Flor-Ala staff approached students at random on campus with a simple question: Can you name these students?

After being shown photos as a hint, participants were asked if they knew the name and position of SGA President Laura Giles, Vice President of Senate Nikki Messer, Vice President of the University Program Council Walter Hartley and Freshman Forum Adviser Maurice Mull.

The process was simple: each time a student recognized an SGA member, the member would receive a tally mark by his or her picture. Each response in the poll was recorded as a tally.

Upon reaching our 100-student quota, we discovered the following results: • 15 participants recognized President Laura Giles • 17 participants recognized Senate Vice-President Nikki Messer • 8 participants recognized University Programming Council VicePresident Walter Hartley

•

25 participants recognized Freshman Forum Adviser Maurice Mull These numbers may not be surprising to students, said Lee Mayhall, a junior.

“I think that it’s pretty common for average college students to not know who is in (student) government,” Mayhall said. “I think it’s a problem because most students don’t know what (SGA members) are voting for.”

Giles was interested in the findings of the poll.

“It surprises me, but then again it doesn’t,” Giles said. “I feel like we’ve done a lot to reach out to students but honestly most of them don’t care or pay attention. At the same time, there’s always more things we can do to put ourselves out there.”

The discouraging part of the poll is not that students cannot recognize other students, but that students cannot recognize people in important leadership roles, Hartley said.

“I really don’t even care that they don’t know me, but they need to know who the vice (presidents of SGA are),” Hartley said.

Some students may be able to recognize members of SGA but not know they are affiliated with student government, Mull said.

“I think it’s because we don’t promote ourselves as much as we promote SGA,” Mull said. “It’s about being easier to talk

to. I guess what I’m trying to say is that people in SGA don’t brag about their titles. They just work and do what they’re supposed to do.”

Junior Heather Steadman feels that it may be hard for students to be visible as a member of one particular organization.

“I feel like on our campus the people who are involved in things are involved in a lot of things, (meaning the) same 20 something people are running everything,” Steadman said. “I would like more students to be involved in the campus because even if they think it won’t affect anything, it will.”

Because of this, Steadman wishes the polling numbers were higher.

“I think it’s important to know what’s going on with your school and leadership,” Steadman said.

Similarly, Messer suggested the students polled may not be as active in the campus community.

“I wonder if these students were involved at all,” Messer said. “I haven’t seen (visibility) as a huge issue because of the initiative we’ve been taking to get our faces out there. I always send out my senators and the chairs to speak to different (organizations) and the different Greek chapters. I encourage them to speak (with students) in their classrooms.”

Editor’s note: To read the rest of this story, please visit www. florlala.net

NEWS 3A

Feb. 20, 2014 • The Flor-Ala

HEALTH

Students search for healthy dining options on campus MATT WILSON

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Healthy eating is a hot topic these days, but students are often faced with the dilemma of convenience versus healthy eating when it comes to dining on campus.

“I only eat on campus a couple of times a month or so,” said Johanna Letson, a senior. “Sometimes I eat there just for convenience when I’m on campus and starving and out of groceries at home. I always find myself wishing there were more healthy options.”

Sodexo General Manager Alan Kinkead is trying to eliminate that dilemma for students by providing the nutritional information and dining options around campus that students need.

“Between the online menus and pamphlets available, students can find all of the nutrition information that they might need in order to make healthy decisions,” Kinkead said. “I just try and focus on what makes sense for students.”

Students do have healthy dining opphoto by ROGER WANG I Staff Photographer tions on campus and many of those are at Sodexo employee Parker Stevens hands a plate of pasta to student Michelle Washburn. Sodexo Dining Services launched Towers Cafeteria, Kinkead said. a healthy eating program called ‘Mindful’ in Towers Cafeteria last fall, said Alan Kinkead, general manager of Sodexo.

“We started a program last fall in Towers called ‘Mindful’ which is aimed eat at home as much as possible, she said. I only got a bunch of calories piled on a sandwich place which still isn’t great,” “There are salads available (on cam- piece of bread.” at trying to provide more healthy opBlackburn said. “Other than that, there tions for students,” Kinkead said. “I eat pus), but I feel like I can go home and Senior Meagan Blackburn agrees aren’t a lot of healthy choices.” at Towers often so I know there are some eat a salad for cheaper,” Letson said. “We Sub Connection may be one of campus’ healthy options on campus.” have Sub Connection in the GUC, but I healthiest dining options. ;MM 0-)4<0 XIOM ) Letson lives near campus and tries to don’t care much for it. When I ate there “I think the healthiest option is the

GREEK LIFE

Greek Life begins roundtable training, leads with PR talks PACE HOLDBROOKS 6M_[ -LQ\WZ VM_[(NTWZITI VM\

For students who are trying hard to make their organizations the best they can be, it may be good to have a little guidance. Student Engagement officials have initiated a new set of training standards for Greek Life members this semester.

This initiative takes the form of roundtable discussions, and individuals who hold certain Chair positions within their Greek Life chapters will receive useful training, said Julie Fletcher, assistant director of Student Engagement for Greek Affairs.

“The need (for roundtable meetings) came about after Greek retreat when we could only focus on the (higher positions within a Greek organization) that went,” Fletcher said. “They got some attention, which was great for them, but there’s a lot of other positions in the chapters. Providing (a training) opportunity for the students not in those positions seemed like the logical next step.”

Each area of need will be addressed in a roundtable discussion once per semester. The first meeting will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 19. The first session will be for public relations chairperson

within the Greek community, including the Chairs of each Greek counsel, Fletcher said.

“The reason for that is to be a Greek community,” Fletcher said. “If we do everything separately, then they are not learning from each other. By having all 17 PR chairs, they are able to learn from each other and are able to sit down and plan.”

During the meeting the Chairs will have an opportunity to get know students who hold the same position in other chapters and councils, Fletcher said.

“One reason we are trying to have this roundtable is to brainstorm ideas with all the councils,” said Deondrick Orr, who will be acting as the public relations Chair of the National Pan-Hellenic Council. “Every council has their way of promoting events, but sometimes that’s not the most effective way. By having this roundtable, we hope to share ideas and promotional tips.”

In order to strengthen their public relations strategies, the National Panhellenic Council has recently created a public relations Chair for the entire council, Fletcher said.

Editor’s note: To read the rest of this story, please visit www. florlala.net

4A IMAGES

POP SOME TAGS

Feb. 20, 2014 • The Flor-Ala

Local thrift stores offer great finds, bargain prices JOSHUA BROOKOVER ;\INN 8PW\WOZIXPMZ RJZWWSW^MZ(]VI ML]

I recently decided to venture out into Florence and visit a few local thrift shops in order to tell other college students where to find bargain shopping. I turned to my all-powerful iPhone and Siri to assist in guiding me to my destination, and sure enough, it brought me to my first store of thrift.

I was guided to The Blue Door Thrift Store. This store was filled with interesting delights. I found a lot of kitchenware, such as crystal glasses, plates, coffee mugs and teacups (which I bought, being an avid hot tea drinker). I found living room décor, vintage lamps, a dazzling bell collection and old wall hang-

ings of random nature scenes. The store had many clothing options for both males and females, all at very affordable prices. To top it off, they had a huge collection of novels, a good selection of college textbooks and even tons of VHS movies, which included some titles you may know like “The Land Before Time” series and Harry Potter.

Second was the Christian-owned Loaves and Fishes thrift store. This store is kind of petite and had mostly women’s clothing and kitchenware. I dug deep and, sadly, only brought forth glass grapes on a vine, which I immediately purchased — but don’t ask why. Impulse buying is oftentimes one of my worst habits. Loaves and Fishes also had a lot of women’s handbags and shoes. To be honest, I didn’t linger long.

To finalize my thrift store excursion, I came upon a well-known local business — Fashion Exchange. A bit more posh than the previous two, it had better décor, finer furniture for sale and more refined decorating supplies. Fortunately, even though these things are nice, their price tags were consumer-friendly. I found some great living room lamps, mirrors and knick-knacks. They also sell a large array of clothing, of course. One particularly unique item I found was a karaoke system with a built-in monitor.

My adventure to discover thrift stores was an informative and beneficial one. I (surprisingly) enjoyed myself, but I also had a few bucks to spare. I recommend taking a trip of your own to explore the thrift shops in the Shoals area if you are able to do so.

Fashion Exchange is a well-stocked consignment store located at 1531 N. Wood Ave. in Florence. It has a large clothing and shoe aisle for men and an even larger section for women. The consignment store was the third stop on the photographer’s tour of local thrift shops.

Christian-owned thrift store Loaves and Fishes displays a collection of time pieces for any occasion. The store is located at 3510 Cloverdale Road in Florence.

The Blue Door Thrift Store hosts an eclectic selection of women’s shoes and handbags. The thrift shop is located at 4129 Helton Drive in Florence.

A variety of living room decor in good condition for reasonable prices can be found at Fashion Exchange.

NEWS 5A

Feb. 20, 2014 • The Flor-Ala ;+1-6+- KWV\QV]ML NZWU XIOM ) unfavorable, said Paige Hauck, a senior.

“Some of the things we’ve worked with are sharks, fetal pigs and rats,” Hauck said. “I used to be grossed out by a lot of our (experiment subjects). Now, I’ll pick them up with my bare hands.”

In general, the labs are some of the most fun parts of science classes, Hauck said.

“I’m mostly in (biology) labs,” Hauck said. “We deal with DNA a lot, and I love doing DNA polymerase testing. We run DNA gels so we get to see how many proteins they have in common with one another.”

The professors teaching labs do a

5)<0 KWV\QV]ML NZWU XIOM ) Early education math students at UNA are required to pass the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative (AMSTI), said Professor of Early Childhood Education Ruth Dumas.

“The curriculum is overseen by an AMSTI specialist and incorporates hands-on material that ties into common core,” Dumas said. “(UNA) Students are required to take this elementary education math course and meet all standards to earn a math certification.”

The AMSTI certification is currently

+75576; KWV\QV]ML NZWU XIOM ) will be delayed until officials from that company are able to be present for their opening on March 3, said Alan Kinkead, general manager of Sodexo Dining Services at UNA. Junior Ashley White is ready for Chick-Fil-A to be open.

“I’m glad they’re taking so long, for quality’s sake, but my heart has been set on chicken minis every morning since the semester started,” White said. “So, my patience is wearing thin.”

The University Success Center also plans to be in their new space Feb. 24. Administrative assistants for the center will move during this week, while the rest of the staff will relocate on opening day, said Robert Koch, director of the Success Center.

“The move will happen so quickly it should not put us out of contact (with students) for more than a short period of time,” Koch said.

The Center for Writing Excellence will remain in it’s current location in the base-

great job in educating students, said sophomore Ben Wilson.

“I enjoy the instructors actually having a passion for what they’re doing,” Wilson said. “They try their best to convey everything we’re supposed to be learning in the labs and how it applies to science in general. They also explain what could happen in each lab and the best ways to avoid problems.”

As far as lab accidents, Wilson has only had one.

“I cut myself on a test tube that was down in a drain,” Wilson said. “It was my fault for sticking my hand in the drain.

The problem was fixed quickly by the professors.”

While the labs that accompany science classes at UNA can include chemicals, organisms and tools that can be unsafe, the science departments use pro-

cedures to promote the safety of everyone involved in the lab classes.

Lab instructors provide resources appropriate for each lab, said Tina Hubler, associate professor of biology.

“We have gloves that can be worn, and they are only needed in certain conditions if there’s something you could possibly ingest that could be harmful,” Hubler said. “We also have safety showers in some of the labs that provide water in case someone is too close to a flame or gets a caustic substance on their skin.”

Students who are conducting research with professors work in special research labs that are also located in Floyd Science Building, said Lisa Blankinship, assistant professor of biology.

“One of my research students is actually doing a project where she looks at spit samples collected from people that

have bronchitis or pneumonia, and she was very fortunate enough to get several organisms from hospital patients,” Blankinship said. “Those we take extra precautions with. For example, she’s usually working in coat and gloves, and even sometimes a face mask until we’re sure of what we have.”

The chemicals used in the research labs can be dangerous if not handled properly, Blankinship said.

“For my research lab, we use something called ethidium bromide, which is a DNA stain,” Blankinship said. “We have to be very careful when using it because it can bind to our DNA if we don’t handle it properly and then give us cancer.”

In regard to the new science building, there will be more room for students and faculty to work in labs, causing a safer environment, Blankinship said.

for first grade only, she said.

“The lag in education would improve if we could have more one-on-one time with our students and more individualized programs here at UNA,” Dumas said.

Undergraduates are absolutely being equipped with the knowledge needed to go out and teach students, senior elementary education major Katie Montgomery said.

“As long as students are willing to work hard, truly listen and apply what they have learned, they will be ready to teach,” she said.

Alabama has now adopted the College and Career Ready Standards, which

is basically common core with a few tweaks, and education should improve, Montgomery said.

“It has a larger focus on writing which is much needed because writing has been left behind, she said. “It all starts in kindergarten and first grade.”

The education lag is coming from standardized tests, Montgomery said.

“Every student learns differently which makes anything standardized not

all that accurate in my opinion,” she said.

Lacey Cheney, music education major, said the secondary education classes are way too general.

“There are people from every content area all in the same classroom, which can be great, but a lot of times the information we are learning in our classes is very over-generalized to fit to every subject,” she said. “I wish we had quite a few more classes that were content-area specific.”

ment of Collier Library until the end of the semester, Koch said.

“Right now we don’t envision significant changes to our hours (upon moving to The Commons),” Koch said.

The new Listerhill branch location in The Commons will also mark the closing of the current branch in the Guillot University Center. The new branch will feature more space, two “charging bars,” a television, more space for tellers and a state-of-the-art ATM machine to be installed in April, Mashburn said.

“We are literally moving everything over (to the new location),” said Kristen Mashburn, Listerhill’s director of marketing. “The new branch is just as cool as our current branch. It will just be bigger and better.”

Senior Brian Sims understands the countless delays.

“I don’t mind the delay,” Sims said. “I want it to be successful from day one. No reason to rush it and be sloppy.”

Editor’s note: For more information on building and moving delays, stick with The Flor-Ala. Student Writer Matt Wilson contributed to this report.

See your ad in this space!

Sponsor The Flor-Ala crossword for as little as $40 a week.

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6A NEWS

Feb. 20, 2014 • The Flor-Ala

CAMPUS

Mailroom employees describe student experiences KALI DANIEL

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The campus mailroom may be an enigma to students struggling to open their boxes or frantically searching for a specific package. The women who operate the mail room, however, deal with almost 6,000 mailboxes a day, including Mane Card requests and opening mailboxes themselves.

Postal clerk Jan Hurst said both students and faculty frequently need procedures and regulations read back to them, such as including the box number on the return or delivery address.

“We have 5,704 student boxes, 74 department boxes and 163 faculty boxes,” Hurst said. “When we receive a package or letter where someone has listed their address as 1 Harrison Plaza, we have to return it. The reason everyone has a box number is because that box is unique to them.”

Like Hurst, student workers Stephanie Mullins, Annemarie Stanfield and Jessica Warren frequently have to assist students and faculty with order and mailbox issues, teaching along the way.

“Every day we have to give directions on how to address a letter,” Mullins said.

“I would say we have to repeat regulations like needing a Mane Card or sending letters about 25 times a day. As far as opening mailboxes, we try not to just do it for them.

We try to teach them.”

The beginning and end of the semester show dramatic differences as far as needs of assistance go, said postal clerk Linda

I REMEMBER A GIRL ONE TIME WANTED TO

MAIL A LETTER AND HER PANTIES FELL OUT OF THE ENVELOPE.

STEPHANIE MULLINS MAILROOM STUDENT EMPLOYEE

White.

“At the beginning of the semester we have to open about 20 to 30 mailboxes a day,” White said. “Toward the end of the semester it goes down to about five times a week.”

While coupons and letters are abundant, packages are carried in by the cartful each day, Hurst said. International students are the primary package receivers, with the second being student workers, she said.

“We get probably 60 to 70 packages a day,” White said.

Those packages aren’t always what you would expect, Hurst said.

“We’ve gotten frogs before for the Biology Department,” Hurst said. “They come in clear containers so you can see all of the holes in them.”

Student packages and interesting letters always make for a story, Mullins said.

“I remember a girl one time wanted to mail a letter and her panties fell out of the envelope,” Mullins said. “We’ve had packages leak and dealt with unusual odors.

We’ve also had people request their luggage. We learned they meant packages.”

photo by JOSHUA BROOKOVER I Staff Photographer

Copious amounts of packages and letters are neatly filed in their respective boxes from inside the mail room. There are 5,704 student mail boxes on campus, said Jan Hurst, university postal clerk.

FINANCE

Authorities break down gas expenses for campus vehicles

file photo by MICHAEL REDDING I Senior Staff Photographer

A university police car sits outside of Flowers Hall during a patrol in the fall of 2012. University police spend $1,713 per month on gas, said Chief Bob Pastula.

ASHLEY REMKUS

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In a world of rising gas prices, students may wonder how different departments on campus are able to keep their vehicles fueled and ready for service.

The university police department uses an average of 515 gallons of gasoline per month, said UNA Police Chief Bob Pastula.

“We average $1,713 per month for that fuel, paying an average of $3.32 per gallon for the past six months,” Pastula said.

Junior Cody Harrison is surprised the campus police department uses that much gasoline each month, he said.

“The campus doesn’t seem to be that big,” Harrison said. “But, if they’re getting their job done, they’re doing their job.”

Unlike other police departments, the university police budget is not directly funded by the state, said Interim Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs and Controller Donna Tipps.

“State money and tuition money go into the university operating budget and the university police budget is a part of that,” she said. “Because they are a function of the university, their funding is provided by us.”

Harrison thinks the state should provide funding for the university police department because they are licensed like any other department, he said.

“I would think they would be state funded,” Harrison said. “It doesn’t make sense for the university to pay for it.”

Junior Clint Frederick disagrees.

“The police department is a part of UNA so it makes sense for the university to fund it,” Frederick said. “I don’t think the state should pay for it.”

These expenses are different from those of the university motor pool vehi-

cles, such as vans groups from the university can use for travel, Tipps said.

Any time a university moto pool vehicle is checked out for university travel, gasoline expenses are paid for with a university credit card. The expenditures are then charged to the department that checked out the vehicle, she said.

“We don’t actually have a budget for the university’s gasoline spending,” Tipps said. “The gasoline used in university vehicles is purchased with a credit card and then the money is taken from the budget of whichever department used it.”

Each department has a budget it goes by and the head of that department is responsible for determining how the money will be used, she said.

“Each one of the cost center heads has an expense budget, but there’s not an exact number on gasoline,” Tipps said.

Senior Lillie Pike thinks using credit cards is the most efficient way to organize the gasoline spending.

“I can’t think of any other way they could keep track of (the spending),” Pike said. “It just makes sense to do it the way they are now.”

However, the university should cover a portion of the gasoline expenses for student organizations that use the university vehicles for travel, she said.

VIEWPOINTS 7A

Feb. 20, 2014 • The Flor-Ala

Have personality, but maintain professionalism STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA

THE

CORINNE BECKINGER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF BLYTHE STEELMAN MANAGING EDITOR PACE HOLDBROOKS NEWS EDITOR KALI DANIEL LIFE EDITOR DALLAS MOORE SPORTS EDITOR ANNA GRACE USERY ONLINE EDITOR LAURA IVIE BUSINESS MANAGER KEVEN RIVERA-ORTIZ GRAPHIC DESIGNER LELA AARON-VICENTE CIRCULATION MANAGER WALTER HARTLEY KAYLA STINNETT ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES ALLI OWNBY CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER SARAH HOLLIDAY ROGER WANG

JOSHUA BROOKOVER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS REBECCA WALKER ADVISER

Letters Policy The Flor-Ala welcomes and encourages Letters to the Editor.

• The deadline for submitting letters is 10 a.m. Monday, the week of publication.

• Letters must not exceed 400 words.

• Letters must be accompanied by the writerʼs name, mailing address, phone number and email.

• The Flor-Ala prefers to publish your letters exactly as written, but reserves the right to reject slanderous or libelous material.

• The publication of any letter is left to the discretion of the Editorial Board.

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BLYTHE STEELMAN

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We live in a world rife with ways to express our thoughts, feelings and daily lunch ventures. Social media is right at our fingertips, ready and waiting to be used and — quite often — abused.

I see it every day: People treat social media as a sounding board for their opinions, whether they are informed on the subject or not. Pictures are shared, plans are made and sites like Twitter and Facebook keep us in the know.

While college is certainly a

time to have fun, make mistakes and try new things, it’s also the foundation you’re building for adulthood and the life you’ll have in the “real world.”

With that being said, part of entering adulthood requires one key component: acting like an adult.

It’s simple, right? Take a look through a few social media accounts, though, and your tune might change. I rarely scroll through one of my feeds without wondering whether or not certain friends or peers have a filter, and the immaturity displayed by some astounds me.

I’m not saying I’m a perfect example of social media professionalism — the majority of my tweets focus on my dog or latest musical obsession. I Instagram pictures of my friends and I at the bar, and I like to share my opinions on Facebook.

However, I don’t believe in passive-aggressively using sites like Twitter to express your dis-

contentment or anger toward another person or group. You had terrible service at Taco Bell last night? By all means, tweet at Taco Bell. But if you have an issue with the girl who sits two seats down from you in class, have the decency to talk to her face-to-face instead of tweeting about her.

As products of the digitalnative era, many of us have become way too comfortable hiding behind our smartphones and computer screens. If you wouldn’t say it to someone’s face, what makes it OK for you to say it online? If you wouldn’t show your photos to someone while they’re standing right next to you, it’s probably a good idea not to post them on social media.

If you have complaints, take the time to actually contact people who can create change.

Being snarky and passive aggressive on social media only reflects poorly on you, and, in

the end, change doesn’t happen.

It’s a never-ending cycle of disappointment and complaining that makes you look both immature and unprofessional.

Let’s have “real-talk” time for a moment: We’re all adults here. If you don’t have the guts to walk up to someone and have a face-to-face conversation about your concerns, you’re probably not going to make it very far in the professional world. At the very least, pick up the phone and call the person to talk about whatever is bothering you.

Having a personality online is great. But when that personality is easily accessible and available to the rest of the world, including people who don’t know you, it’s only in your best interest to maintain a level of professionalism and maturity.

SGA encourages feedback on campus issues

LAURA GILES

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What is SGA? Many students understand the basics of UNA’s Student Government Association, but they do not understand what SGA is doing for

them. We hope that each student feels as though his or her voice is being heard by those SGA delegates who can make a difference. I am sure that this is not the case for everyone at UNA, though.

Please utilize SGA’s ways of reaching out to you by attending our weekly meetings in the GUC or simply use our Suggestion Box on our webpage una. edu/sga.

SGA has had much headway to improving our recycling initiatives on campus, creating lion pride on campus and throughout the community and is looking

forward to working with UNA Police to increase safety for our students. There are many improvements to be made and we want to ensure those items you find valuable for us to focus on are being considered.

Although the semester seems to have just started, it is moving fast and SGA is beginning to start its transition into new leaders within the next few months. We encourage all students to begin getting to know those students who will potentially be serving you as the student voice and vote for whom you feel will represent you best.

Elections will be March 10 -12 and SGA plans to have many ways in which you can find the information you need to make the proper choice on your leaders. I plan to continue to serve the student body to the best of my ability in the months remaining in my term, and I plan to ensure you as students are represented well by those planning to serve next year.

As always, please contact any SGA representative or myself and allow us to improve UNA for the students. Good luck with your classes and roar lions!

Congratulations to our Writer and Photographer of the Week!

Kelsey White and Sarah Holliday

8A NEWS

Feb. 20, 2014 â&#x20AC;˘ The Flor-Ala

SGA

IN

REVIEW

â&#x20AC;˘ SENATE - EXTENDED THE DEADLINE TO JOIN THE SCHOOL SPIRIT GROUP

â&#x20AC;&#x153;UNATICSâ&#x20AC;? TO FEB. 28. â&#x20AC;˘ SENATE - DID NOT MEET ON THURSDAY FEB. 13, DUE TO SNOW. photo by ROGER WANG I Staff Photographer

Fruit lines the top of Towersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; salad bar as part of an effort from Sodexo to provide healthy options for students.

0-)4<0 KWV\QV]ML NZWU XIOM ) Junior Brooke Lytle said she rarely eats on campus. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m picky so I never usually eat on

campus,â&#x20AC;? Lytle said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There just isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t much that is healthy.â&#x20AC;?

Junior Andrew Quillen said he only eats at Sub Connection because everything else is too greasy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would like to see something like a salad bar put in,â&#x20AC;? Quillen said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some-

thing with different options and fresh vegetables every day.â&#x20AC;?

Lytle said she would like to see something like that put in the GUC as well. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would like to see them put in a juice bar with real fruit and vegetables, not the powdered stuff,â&#x20AC;? Lytle said.

SGA

Committee plans barbecue to introduce candidates ASHLEY REMKUS

;\INN ?ZQ\MZ IZMUS][(]VI ML] In light of the upcoming Student Government Association executive committee elections, March 10 to 12, SGA is planning an event to allow students to get acquainted with the candidates. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Meat the Candidatesâ&#x20AC;? will be held in the GUC Loft from 6 to 8 p.m. on March 6 and will let students mingle with the SGA members who are running for office in a relaxed environment, said Jensen Joiner, elections and recruitment chairperson.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our goal is to make this event more relaxed so people can actually get to know the people who are running for an executive position,â&#x20AC;? Joiner said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We also want to make it so that the candidates can give their platform and answer questions from students.â&#x20AC;?

SGA will also provide food and entertainment at the event, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to have barbecue, chips, drinks, banana pudding and some kind of entertainment free for students so everybody can get to know each other,â&#x20AC;? Joiner said.

CAREER FAIR NORTH ALBAMA CONNECTION: PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT DAY

February 26, 2014 The MarrioĆŠ Hotel 5 Tranquility Base, Huntsville, AL 1:00 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4:00 PM BRING YOUR RESUME! PARKING IF FREE! To see a list of registered employers, visit career.una.edu and click on Calendar of Events.

Elections will begin at 8 a.m. on March 10 and will remain open until 6 p.m. March 12.

Kekoria Greer is running unopposed for president.

Nick Lang and Nikki Messer are running for vice president of senate.

Daniel Thompson is running unopposed for vice president of the university program council.

Parrish Tuggles and Samuel Satterfield are running for secretary.

Adam McCollum, Sarah Emerson and Casey Childers are running for treasurer.

â&#x20AC;˘ FRESHMAN FORUM DID NOT MEET ON WEDNESDAY FEB. 12, DUE TO SNOW. â&#x20AC;˘ UPC - ELECTED A SUBCOMMITTEE TO ORGANIZE THEIR EFFORTS FOR SOAR CAMP. â&#x20AC;˘ UPC - WILL HOST A COMEDY SHOW IN THE GUC PERFORMANCE CENTER ON FEB. 24 AT 6 P.M. â&#x20AC;˘ UPC - WILL HOST A SCREENING OF â&#x20AC;&#x153;CATCHING FIREâ&#x20AC;? IN THE GUC ON FEB. 28 AT 6 P.M. FOR MEETING BRIEFS AND UPDATES ON THE STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION, PLEASE VISIT WWW.FLORALA.NET

SPORTS

SECTION B

Feb. 20, 2014• The Flor-Ala • Sports Editor: Dallas Moore 256-765-5098

BASEBALL

Lions strike out one, two, three times

photo by MARIE KARERA I Student Photographer

Junior Brett Guzay watches the ball as he takes off for first base.

MATT WILSON

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The Lions dropped three conference games in a home series against the University of West Florida.

UNA lost the opening game 3-2 on Saturday, Feb. 15 and both games of a doubleheader on Sunday, Feb. 16 2-0 and 4-0, respectively.

The weather hampered the team’s on-field practice time

during the past week, but weather is no excuse for production, said head coach Mike Keehn.

“The weather affected us because we weren’t able to get on the field during the week and get some work done on some things we wanted to,” Keehn said. “But we’ve got to be able to deal with that and still find a way to win games.

“I don’t think the weather really affected our pitching. Our pitching kept us in the games this weekend.”

MENʼS BASKETBALL

UNA @ Valdosta State 79-63 Win

UNA @ Valdosta State 76-68 Win

SOFTBALL

UNA vs. University of West Florida 11-5, 1-0 Wins - 1, Losses - 1

IN THIS SECTION

ons were shutout during the Feb. 16 double header, bringing the season record to 3-6.

“Their pitchers (West Florida) are some of the best in the conference,” Keehn said. “That is some of the best pitching we are going to go up against this season and we’ve got to be able to find a way to do more than we did.

“We weren’t hitting it the other way, we weren’t finding the gaps and the middle of our lineup is going to need to step

BASEBALL

UNA vs. University of West Florida 3-2 Loss UNA @ University of West Florida 94-90 Win

WOMENʼS BASKETBALL

UNA @ University of West Florida 73-61 Lose

MENʼS TENNIS

BASEBALL

See page 3B

UNA vs. McKendree University 8-6 Win

WOMENʼS TENNIS

SOFTBALL

UNA vs. University of West Florida 9-0 Loss

UNA vs. McKendree University 15-3 Win

SOFTBALL

UNA vs. University of West Florida 3-2 Win

C HECK

OUT WEEKLY

GAME BRIEFS AT F L O R A L A . N E T / S P O R T S

UNA vs. University of West Florida 2-0, 4-0 Loss

SOFTBALL

UNA vs. Truman State University 3-2 Loss

SOFTBALL

UNA vs. Truman State University 2-0 Loss

F OLLOW U S TWITTER @F L O R A L A S P O R T S ON

LIFE

SPORTS Players stand out in respective sports

SOFTBALL

UNA vs. University of West Florida 9-0 Loss

up.”

The Lions host a weekend series Feb. 22 and 23 against Gulf South Conference foe Delta State University. The Statesmen are currently fifth in the conference with a 2-1 conference record. “Collegiate Baseball Newspaper” currently ranks Delta State No. 16 nationally in Division II. UNA plays a doubleheader Saturday starting at 1 p.m. and one game on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 16

Saturday, Feb. 15

MENʼS BASKETBALL

Friday, Feb. 14

The Lions tied the opening game at two after allowing a two-run opening frame to the Argonauts. UNA pitcher Cade Medley settled in and shut the West Florida bats down. Medley pitched himself out of a jam in the top of the sixth inning by striking out two Argonauts in a row. UNA catcher Payton Thomas ended the inning by gunning down a West Florida base runner attempting to steal second base.

The bats went cold as the Li-

SCOREBOARD Feb. 11 - Feb. 17

Thursday, Feb. 13

WOMENʼS BASKETBALL

photo by MARIE KARERA I Student Photographer

Senior Jake Ward slides into the base at Sunday’s game versus West Florida.

Team recruits for fall 2014 See page 4B

Students host interracial discussion See page 5B

Jeans4Justice raises rape awareness See page 6B

2B SPORTS

Feb. 20, 2014 • The Flor-Ala

INTERNATIONAL

Olympic athletes persevere despite difficulties HIGHS Break a leg

Before the opening ceremony, Technical difficulties USA freestyle skier Heidi Kloser tore her ACL, bruised her tibia Netherland twins Ronald and Michel Mulder and fractured her femur, putting competed in the same competition of men’s speedher officially out of the competiskating 500m. Ronald beat the best time at 69.46 section. Despite the obvious upset, onds. His brother, Michel, beat Ronald’s time with a new the Olympian participated in record of 69.312 seconds. Finally, Johannes Smeekens the Parade of Nations with her of the Netherlands speedskated to first, or so was anteammates — and her crutches nounced at the time. Michel Mulder rejoiced for his — supporting her. teammate and himself, who won silver. Approxi-

KALI DANIEL

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Whether it’s chanting “USA,” dedicating an entire night to television or rooting for your favorite international team, millions of people have tuned in to watch the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

From the opening ceremony to the present, numerous moments have become ingrained in the minds of many.

For those who haven’t watched the Olympics, this lists of highs and lows will recap what has happened thus far.

STAYING

20

Read your copy of The Flor-Ala while you exercise

22

Whether you just watched America lose a medal or witnessed Russia win one, a definite plus side to the Winter Olympics is the stability of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s facial expressions — or lack thereof. Seeing the apathy on this man’s face is enough to make any lost gold medal seem like a little league loss.

mately five seconds after announcing Smeekens as the gold medalist, however, announcers explained that due to a glitch in the timing system, Michel won gold. Smeekens cried. The stats lied.

The opening cerUSA snowboarder emony in Sochi was beauShaun White, America’s fatiful — a small girl in a winter vorite face of the gum industry, fell wonderland of dreams, flying through the twice during his halfpipe snowboarding night. She came to snowflakes in the sky event. He also withdrew from the slopestyle near the moon, and as the snowflakes aligned event, but it was too late for the American in the form of the Olympic rings, they began team to find a replacement. There’s one thing to open. Well, four of them did. The fifth, Shaun White and his gum have in common: far-right ring did not open, becoming the They’re both sticking it to America. first big low of the Olympics.

Technical difficulties, part two

LOWS

ACTIVE AT

12 p.m. - TRX 3:30 p.m. - Ab Attack 4 p.m. - Zumba, XFit and Cycling 6 p.m. - Muscle Works 7 p.m. - Tabata 6:30 p.m. - Kayak Polo hosted by THURSDAY the OAC at Flowers Hall

Overwhelming enthusiasm

UNA 21

3:30 p.m. - Ab Attack *Sign up for weekend trips hosted by the Outdoor Center

White breaks his Stride

Got Issues?

We can help!

FRIDAY

4 p.m. - Ab Attack

23

SATURDAY

555 Oakview Circle (In the white house behind Kilby School)

STUDENT COUNSELING SERV VICES All services for actively enrolled UNA Students are covered by payment of the Student Wellness Fee: x Assessment/Intake Evaluations x Personalized treatment planning x Individualized Counseling/Support x Referral as needed Regular Off ffice Hours ff rs s: Monday—Friday 8:00am-4:30pm (Later appointments by request) For appointments s call: 256-765-5215

SUNDAY Building New Beginnings

3:30 p.m. - TRX and Ab Attack 4 p.m. - Zumba, XFit 6 p.m. - Yoga 7 p.m. - Tabata

24 MONDAY

3:30 p.m. - TRX and Ab Attack 4 p.m. - Zumba, XFit

25

12 p.m. - TRX 3:30 p.m. - Ab Attack 4 p.m. - Zumba, XFit and Cycling 6 p.m. - Muscle Works 7 p.m. - Tabata 2-5 p.m. - Rain Barrel Clinic at the Outdoor Adventure Center TUESDAY 6 p.m. - Yoga 7 p.m. - Tabata

26 WEDNESDAY

OAC = Outdoor Adventure Center *Weekly pre-trip meetings for the OAC weekend outings are Tuesdays at 5 p.m.

SRC = Student Recreation Center All exercise classes held at the SRC.

SPORTS 3B

Feb. 20, 2014 • The Flor-Ala

PROFILES

PLAYER SPOTLIGHTS Aliaksei Kavalenka

photo by ROGER WANG I Staff Photographer

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT CLASS:

JUNIOR

MAJOR:

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

HOMETOWN:

MINSK, BELARUS

Medley’s performance speaks for him DUSTIN POLLARD

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The most noise one may hear from pitcher Cade Medley during a game is the sound of his fastball hitting the catcher’s mitt.

The senior from Harvest started 11 games last season and finished with a 6-2 record with a 3.32 earned-run average, good enough to be named to the second-team All-Gulf South Conference.

Medley said he hopes his performance continues to speak for itself this year.

“He’s a quiet leader, the way he works on the mound and off the field,” said head coach Mike Keehn. “He was that way as a junior also.”

Medley said he is more of a lead-byexample type of player.

“I’ve never been a real vocal person,” Medley said. “Usually I can come out here, start a game, do pretty well and show them how it’s done.”

This season Medley has continued his All-Conference play in just three starts with a 3.86 ERA and more strikeouts than innings pitched.

“His God-given ability to pitch the way he does is impressive,” said assistant coach Matt Hancock. “He’s just so consistent when he’s on the mound.”

Medley grew up in a baseball family, he said. His dad, David Medley, played baseball at the University of Alabama.

“I pretty much just grew up around baseball,” Medley said.

Medley, a sports management major, said if he cannot continue playing baseball after he graduates he plans on interning with the NFL. “If baseball does not work out I plan on interning with the (Baltimore) Ravens and seeing where that takes me,” Medley said. “It’s something I have to fall back on.”

Medley thinks of himself as a hard worker not only on the field, but off the field as well. As a student athlete it can be difficult managing schoolwork with practice and games, but Medley said he has found the balance between both.

“From about 2 to 5 p.m. it’s 100 percent baseball, (and) then after that I jump on my schoolwork,” Medley said.

Fellow teammates said the most impressive thing he brings to the field is he always works hard and does what he is supposed to do on the mound and off of it.

“His hard work and dedication is impressive — he really wants to win,” said pitcher Brantley Claunch. “And we all do, but he really fights and shows his love for the game out there.”

Kavalenka swings ‘for the stars’ MATT SULESKI

;\INN ?ZQ\MZ UU[]TM[SQ(]VI ML]

Nonchalant and yet always friendly, Aliaksei Kavalenka has been a member of the men’s tennis team for more than three years.

Kavalenka, originally from Belarus, is currently the No. 3 singles and No. 2 doubles tennis player for the Lions.

Kavalenka started his college career at Lambuth College in Jackson, Tenn., which competes at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics level.

“I didn’t really like it there,” Kavalenka said. “But after one semester coach (Brice) Bishop offered me an opportunity here at UNA.” Bishop has helped Kavalenka, amongst other international tennis players at UNA, adapt to life away from home.

“He has been really helpful,” Kavalenka said. “But he cannot do everything for you — you have to go out and do things for yourself.”

In his home country, Kavalenka made his living as a tennis professional at local pro shops.

“You have to study for two years in Belarus to be able to teach others how to play,” Kavalenka said.

Playing tennis for UNA has taught Kavalenka he is playing for more than just himself.

“I don’t just play for myself anymore,” Kavalenka said. “I play for my teammates as well, and I don’t want to

let them down. I have met some great friends playing tennis here at UNA. We’re really close — we spend a lot of time together off the court doing other activities.”

Kavalenka is able to enjoy the holidays as well, even without having the luxury of always being able to go home.

“My friends invite me to their homes over the holidays,” Kavalenka said. “I always have somewhere to go, and I’m always treated well.”

Currently a business management major and also working on a minor in sales, Kavalenka plans to stay in the U.S. after college to pursue his career.

“I hope to find work here in the U.S. after college,” Kavalenka said. “I feel like there is some great opportunity here.”

In his last season as a tennis player for the Lions, Kavalenka believes regionals and nationals are a possibility.

“I say let’s shoot for the stars,” Kavalenka said. “Coach (Bishop) has high expectations for us, but he always says player’s expectations should be higher than his, and mine are very high this year.”

Maintaining a student athlete’s schedule is not always easy, but Kavalenka seems to be up to the task.

“It’s complicated,” Kavalenka said.

“But coach (Bishop) always schedules practices around class schedules and does his best to have matches for us on the weekends. After four years of studying, you have to figure out a way or you wouldn’t be around anymore.”

Cade Medley

photo by MARIE KARERAI Student Photographer

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT CLASS:

SENIOR

POSITION:

PITCHER

MAJOR:

SPORTS MANAGEMENT

HOMETOWN:

HARVEST

4B SPORTS

Feb. 20, 2014 • The Flor-Ala

NATIONAL SIGNING DAY UNA signs 24 recruits to fall 2014 football team DALLAS MOORE

1

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2

7 1

UNA signed 24 recruits for the 2014 football season Wednesday, Feb. 7.

Throughout Signing Day, the Athletics Dept. sent out tweets for each new recruit. The tweets included information about each new player such as hometown, school, height and weight.

The new recruits will begin training in August, said Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance Todd Vardaman.

“I know the coaches staff is very pleased,” Vardaman said. “They got a very good mix of high school signees and junior college players that are coming in.”

While not all players that were offered positions accepted, Athletics will continue to sign players until the season starts, Vardaman said.

“At the Division-II level, recruiting goes on all the time.”

While the new recruits will begin training in the fall, drills have already begun for players currently enrolled at UNA, Vardaman said.

MISSISSIPPI 1 3

3

1 2

1

ALABAMA 2

1

GEORGIA

MISSISSIPPI Ellisville Jackson Lumberton Mize Olive Branch Stringer Water Valley Wiggins

POSITIONS

2

ALABAMA Birmingham Courtland Decatur Florence Leighton Luverne Madison Mobile Muscle Shoals Northport

GEORGIA Blue Ridge Decatur Snellville

7 DEFENSIVE LINEMEN 6 RECEIVERS

Oneonta Rogersville Trussville Tuscumbia

Live tweets from the UNAFootball Twitter account on Signing Day 2014 were available throughout the day. Tweets were sent out for each player signed to the team.

4 LINEBACKERS 1 RUNNING BACK 4 OFFENSIVE LINEMAN 1 LONG-SNAPPER 3 DEFENSIVE BACK 1 ATHLETE

PHYSICAL STATS Shortest Recruit - 5ʼ 8” Average Weight - 230 lbs.

Smallest Recruit - 155 lbs.

Largest Recruit - 350 lbs.

HEIGHT

Tallest Recruit - 6ʼ 6”

WEIGHT

Average Height - 6ʼ 1”

information courtesy of SPORTS INFORMATION

GREEK LIFE

Coffee & Cream

LIFE 5B

photo courtesy of Clker.com

Feb. 20, 2014 • The Flor-Ala

Greek chapters host interracial discussion KALI DANIEL

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Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and sorority Alpha Gamma Delta hosted “Coffee and Cream” on Thursday, Feb. 13 in the Guillot University Center to discuss the taboos of interracial relationships.

The event was an open-floor discussion based on questions that focused on the stereotypes, conflicts and history of interracial relationships.

“I think the event went very well,” said President of the Black Student Alliance Tyree Whitson. “I didn’t expect the Q and A portion. My brother put that together, but it was a good idea so we didn’t seem like a deer in headlights.”

The panel of hosts included

Alpha Gamma Delta members Caroline Bobo and Alex Annett and Alpha Phi Alpha members Thaddeus Rowell, Alonzo Dukes, Kentrell Thomas and Tyree Whitson. As questions were asked, audience members were encouraged to raise their hand and give their opinion.

“I feel like interracial relationships are taking over,” Whitson said. “People are finally starting to stand up for what they believe in and not worrying about what other people might say. (They’re) saying ‘I don’t want to hide who I’m in love with.”’

The hour-long discussion was spurred by six questions from the panel, including one that asked how history has impacted students now.

“The old generation is withering away,” Rowell said. “Do

”

INTERRACIAL RELATIONSHIPS ARE TAKING OVER. PEOPLE ARE FINALLY

STARTING TO STAND UP FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVE IN AND NOT WORRYING ABOUT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE MIGHT SAY.

TYREE WHITSON

PRESIDENT OF THE BLACK STUDENT ALLIANCE you feel that with them passing people are becoming more tolerant of interracial relationships?”

Students quickly engaged the subject, saying that because students were raised by the older generation they continue to segregate even when sitting in the GUC for lunch.

“I understand that it’s a

problem and that we all sit separately,” said student Martika Finklea. “As people were talking about how this should change, for students both black and white, what are we going to do?”

Sophomore Graem Cook immediately offered to meet for lunch and followed up afterward asking when would be a good time.

“It’s easy to say ‘OK, we’re going out for lunch today’ with your white friends or with your black friends,” Whitson said.

“It’s not that we don’t have friendships, it’s just that when we get around our own, we start acting a certain type of way.”

Ultimately, the hosts deemed the event a success.

“I hope everyone walked away with something,” Rowell said. “We thought it would be

appropriate since it’s Black History month.”

Alpha Phi Alpha members have already begun anticipating the next event and said they are definitely planning on doing “Coffee and Cream” again.

“In the future we hope to change the location,” Thomas said. “We’ll also be looking for a bigger turnout.”

Alpha Gamma Delta members said they felt similarly and thought events like these encourage integration between not only students, but Greeks, too.

“I feel like the conversation was very informative and insightful,” Bobo said. “I would love to see more National Panhellenic and National Pan-Hellenic Council events. I wouldn’t be surprised if we had a next time.”

HISTORY

Professors reflect on changes in African American history MARI WILLIAMS

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photo by KEANU KIRKPATRICK I Student Photographer

Professor of English Lisa Minor looks through a book that discusses Black History Month in depth. Celebrating the month “is a real change from 25 years ago,” she said.

When people think of Black History Month, pictures of groundbreaking African American heroes like Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks and Malcom X come to mind, consequently forcing the relevant thoughts and stories of ordinary people to become fading memories.

“I remember when the Black Student Alliance first started,” said Lisa Minor, professor of English. “One of the first things they did was start recognition of Black History Month on campus. I can recall being in meetings where they (faculty) just didn’t want to make it (Black

History Month) something that was on the calendar.”

Throughout February, in celebration of Black History Month, the Communications Department will be presenting a guest speaker as well as screening several award-winning films by Ernest Gaines.

“With the Communications Department doing something and History Department doing something in recognition of Black History Month, that’s a real change from 25 years ago,” Minor said.

Black History month was created by Carter Woodson and first celebrated as a week in 1926, according to africanamericanhistorymonth.gov.

“Black history is great but a

lot of times when we talk about Dr. Martin Luther King and we talk about Rosa Parks and W.E.B. Dubois and Booker T. Washington the kids today can’t relate,” said Latasha Howell, professor of English.

To provide students with a face-to-face interaction with contemporary mentors, Howell started a mentoring program for young people and is a youth leader within her church.

“They (kids) can’t meet them (historical figures), they can’t talk to them and they just can’t relate,” Howell said. “So I feel like sometimes we all need real-life examples.”

Black History Month is

;MM 01;<7:A XIOM *

6B LIFE

Feb. 20, 2014 • The Flor-Ala

TECHNOLOGY

Blogging teaches writing for audience MARI WILLIAMS

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The art of blogging is nothing new to the Internet realm. With newer, sleeker platforms, blogging is either here to stay or will be shoved into a closet with all of this century’s other neglected trends.

Sophomore Abby Lee Hood is not new to the blogging scene.

“I’ve always been a reader, and I’ve always had opinions,” Hood said. “Sometimes it’s hard to share with the people around you, especially when you’re in high school.”

Vincent Brewton, director of the Honors Program, requires his students to keep a blog.

“A blog allows us to use the web tools that are available and allows a student to write for an audience that’s larger than the instructor,” Brewton said.

The most important writing is usually being shared publicly, Brewton said.

“Social media revolution has made sharing writing very common,” Brewton said. “Now it just makes sense to use the technologies that are available for blogging. Students can read each other’s work

and other people can read their blog.”

Brewton would rather his students keep a blog than a journal.

“It pulls a better effort out of the student knowing that someone other than the instructor is potentially going to read it,” Brewton said. “They’re going to do a little bit better work and be thinking about an audience differently than they would if they were writing in a private way just for an instructor.”

Hood previously ran a blog for Style Quirk magazine but now focuses on keeping up her Tumblr, she said.

“You have a wider audience online and you kind of get to discover yourself.”

Hood said. “It’s a way to get a little exposure, it’s a way to express yourself and I really do look at it as an art form. It’s just like painting a picture you’re just posting it online, it’s just as much art as it is anything else.”

Freshman Sam Erhenede said her Tumblr is her personal journal.

“My main blog is Tumblr I use it as a form of expression to show what I find interesting,” Erhenede said. “It consists of me reblogging different photography from different people.”

Hood thinks you should save your pri-

vate information for a diary.

“If you want to write about your sex life I would say keep a journal, but for your political opinions I would say keep a blog,” Hood said. “You shouldn’t post inappropriate things online because then you’re going to be getting attention for the wrong reasons and it’ll come back to haunt you later. As long as you’re keeping it appropriate I would definitely advocate for blogging.”

Despite changing trends in society, blogging will remain popular in the future, Brewton said.

“People have a desire to share their experiences publicly, especially the millennial generation who have grown up feeling that it is natural and normal to share your experiences publicly,” he said.

“I think sharing in some form is going to remain popular.”

Hood also thinks blogging is here to stay.

“I think we’re going to see blogging in a different sense take off,” Hood said. “A lot of things about the journalistic world right now are changing and formulating into what they’re going to be in the digital age, things are really going to change and then settle down and find their niche.”

AWARENESS

Jeans 4 Justice encourages community rape awareness ANNA GRACE USERY 7VTQVM -LQ\WZ WVTQVM(NTWZITI VM\

photo courtesy of Jeans 4 Justice

Students at San Diego University participate in a Jeans4Justice Fashion Show.

The organization is based on an Italian case where “the court said (a) rape was consensual because the survivor was wearing jeans,” said Women’s Center coordinator Emily Kelley. To raise awareness about the campaign and sexual violence, the Women’s Center and Rape Response are asking students and employees to wear jeans for a $1 donation to Rape Response on Feb. 25.

The Women’s Center is partnering with Shoals Rape Response, a non-profit organization, to increase awareness of sexual violence during an event called Jeans 4 Justice.

Area-wide businesses and schools are asked to allow employees and students to wear jeans to work Tuesday, Feb. 25 for a $1 donation to Rape Response, according to a press release.

Jeans 4 Justice is an organization that arose from a court decision held in Italy. While a perpetrator of rape was found guilty, the Italian Supreme Court overturned it because the survivor was wearing jeans.

“The reasoning behind this case was that no man by himself could take the jeans off of a woman — she would have to help him,” said Coordinator for Women’s Studies Emily Kelley. “The court basically said this rape was consensual because the survivor was wearing jeans, which is a total lack of reasoning.”

Junior Genna Bradley said society and culture in the United States is so sexualized that people in this country do in fact live in a rape culture.

“The opinion of the Italian judge that led to this moment is not an isolated case

of bigotry,” she said. “The phenomenon that is victim blaming and shaming is pervasive. People will keep saying that ‘she or he wanted it’ or that ‘she or he had it coming’ about rape and sexually assaulted victims until we put a stop to it.”

(Rape) is something that happens here in Lauderdale County, Outreach and Awareness Specialist of Rape Response Kaylie Watts said.

“It happens on college campuses more than we think,” she said.

Perpetrators should be punished to the fullest extent of the law, Bradley said.

“This problem will not diminish until it is made clear that it is not OK to rape a person no matter his or her sex, age, religion, race, or social-economic status,” she said.

Donations can be made to the Women’s Center and Rape Response throughout the week, Kelley said.

“We will have a table set up in the GUC Tuesday, Feb. 25 and will be handing out information regarding sexual violence,” she said.

Jeans 4 Justice raised approximately $150 last year during the event, Kelley said.

“It’s important to support the work

;MM 2-)6; XIOM *

LIFE 7B

Feb. 20, 2014 • The Flor-Ala

HEALTH

Culinary professors, students advise campus about eating LAUREN TOBIN

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photos by ALLI OWNBY | Chief Photographer and DALLAS MOORE | Sports Editor

The long-term costs to buy groceries is cheaper than fast food, said Jill Englett, instructor of human environmental sciences. “It’s not really cheaper, it’s more conventional,” she said.

01;<7:A KWV\QV]ML NZWU XIOM * supposed to be a time to recognize historic African Americans, Howell said.

“Most of the time we focus only on the past,” Howell said. “It’s a time to recognize, remember even though it’s just one month.”

Shortly after Black History Month was created many teachers began demanding black history materials to instruct their students with, according to africanamericanhistorymonth.gov.

“In my lifetime, childhood to now, black history was overlooked in the textbooks,” Minor said. “For literature, when I was a student here, we didn’t get to any black writers until the 1920s Harlem Renaissance. They (professors) left out slave narratives, Phyllis Wheatley, all of these writers that I had no idea wrote. (We were taught) as if Langston

Hughes was the first black writer and that’s so wrong.”

On Sept. 10, 1963, then President John F. Kennedy, with the use of executive order 11118, gave orders to the Army National Guard to protect students in Alabama as they integrated public education, according to the American Presidency Project.

“I remember my white teacher asking all the other students where their relatives came from and they all acted like they came over on the Mayflower, Scotland, Italy — and there I sat from slaves,” Minor said.

Minor has been teaching at UNA since 1988.

“One year, in April, there was a poster in the History Department recognizing Confederate History Month and nothing had been said about Black History Month so it is heartwarming to now see different departments recognizing Black History Month,” Minor said.

After years of celebrating and teach-

Though finding a healthy meal can seem like more of a struggle than it’s worth when you’re surrounded by fast food resturants, it can be easy once you know how and where to look.

Alabama has a 33 percent prevalence of obesity, according to the Center for Disease Control. College students gain three to 10 pounds during the first two years of their college careers, according to kidshealth. org. A way to beat these statistics comes from a healthy diet.

Students who live in the dorms may find it hard to eat healthy when McDonalds is such a short drive away.

Students also face the cost of preparing their own meals.

“The best way to save money is to make multiple meals by cooking one thing,” said Tyler Layne, culinary arts and nutrition major.

Layne said he may eat the same meal three or four times in a week, but he saves money.

“You can’t be picky,” he said.

In terms of cooking ahead of time, Layne said he finds recipes online.

Students need to know what they have at home and make a menu before going to the grocery store, said Johnson Ogun, director of culinary arts.

You should be able to spend less than $5 on a meal, said Prema Monteiro, assistant professor of culinary arts.

“A lot of it is more of a time factor,”

ing black history one question is whether or not we should change the way we teach it.

“I think maybe we should work it more into our curriculums in our schools to focus on it not just one month but all people and all achievements for the whole year,” Howell said.

Minor has a similar outlook on teaching black history.

“To me, black history is everybody’s history and in an ideal world people would accept that,” Minor said. “When you know your history it opens up the possibilities for you.”

said Jill Englett, instructor of human environmental sciences. “In reality, it’s not really cheaper, it’s more conventional.”

When students check grocery store advertisements before they go shopping, they can cook cheaper than eating from a drive-thru, Englett said.

She said frozen vegetables have more preserved nutrients because the vitamins and nutrients are broken down through sunlight, and recommends buying fruit that’s in season since it tends to be cheaper.

Layne said he can usually buy fruits and vegetables for less than $1.

“You don’t have to sacrifice flavor for nutrition,” Ogun said.

He said chicken is good as a main ingredient because it can be used it in different dishes.

Rice is another good product, because it can be cooked with any meat, Ogun said.

It’s just a matter of buying wisely, he said. Generic products are no different than brand-name products in terms of quality and quantity.

These products tend to be on the top or bottom shelf, because consumers are more likely to buy what’s at their eye level, he said.

The cost of health in the long term because of fast food is more expensive than the toll it takes on a student’s bank account to buy groceries, Englett said.

“Hypertension (high blood pressure), strokes and high cholesterol will cost money,” she said. “Pay more up front than in the long run.”

Physical activity aside, a healthy diet will aid in weight loss and general overall health, Layne said.

“Anytime you cut out extra sweets and extra carbs, you definitely feel better and sleep better,” he said.

Layne says grocery shopping is easy if one rule is followed.

“Stay on the perimeter of the grocery store,” he said.

2-)6; KWV\QV]ML NZWU XIOM * of Rape Response,” she said. “They do amazing work throughout the community on a shoestring budget.”

For donation information contact Emily Horn Kelley in the Women’s Center at 256-765-4380.

All services of Rape Response are offered free of charge and are provided to victims of sexual assault 14 and older, regardless of sex, race or religion.

Services are available no matter when the sexual violence occurred. The crisis line is 256-767-1100. Callers outside the Shoals can call 800-917-7273 tollfree.

Editor’s note: Life Editor Kali Daniel is an intern at the Women’s Center.

Check out The Flor-Ala’s local Food and Drink blog at flor-ala.tumblr.com

8B EXTRA

Feb. 20, 2014 â&#x20AC;˘ The Flor-Ala

Tweets of the week

DISCLAIMER: The tweets below are public tweets found on Twitter by searching hashtags and keywords involving UNA, Florence, Shoals and other university-related topics. Want to see yours on here? Be sure to hashtag UNA and Shoals in your tweets.

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