Oct. 31 Issue

FACULTY RECOUNT CAMPUS GHOST ENCOUNTERS SPECIAL SECTION 2B Oct. 31, 2013

Volume 82, Issue 11

www.FlorAla.net

Student newspaper of the University of North Alabama

CRIME

Consecutive vehicle break-ins could be connected DERRICK FLYNN

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photo illustration by CHELSEA PARRISH I Student Photographer

With four on-campus vehicle break-ins and one off-campus vehicle break-in since Sept. 26, the UNA Police Department has worked to increase its patrol, said Police Chief Bob Pastula.

The UNA crime logs suggest a series of connected vehicle break-ins occurred in recent weeks.

The four vehicle break-ins consist of three cars broken into at Appleby Residence Hall parking lot and one break-in at Grandview Apartments on Thursday, Sept 26th.

The recent break-ins could be connected due to the area surrounding the incidents, said UNA Police Chief Bob Pastula.

“I think that some of the break-ins could be connected, only because they occurred with close proximity of each other,” Pastula said.

Both the UNA and Florence Police Department have already begun to address the problem before it becomes a bigger issue.

“Florence police have already made one arrest for some of the burglaries, and we have caught another suspect who committed some of the UNA ones,” Pastula said. “The officers have been increasing patrols of the parking areas during the day.”

Stephanie Mullins, a sopho-

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ACADEMICS

Success Center set to house various academic services JASMINE FLEMING ;\INN ?ZQ\MZ RNTMUQVO(]VI ML]

The new Academics Commons Building, scheduled for completion in December 2013, will have many benefits for students academically. In particular, several student-tutoring services will be housed on the same floor.

The second floor, dedicated to academic services, will house existing programs such as the Center for Writing Excellence, the Mathematics Learning Center and University Advising Services, said Director of the University Success Center Rob

INSIDE

this week’s paper

Koch.

“What’s going to change in the new building is that everyone is sharing the same spaces,” Koch said. “When you come onto the second floor, you’ll see that the writing center shares space with the math learning center and tutorial services. The idea is that if we’re all involved in support, then we all need to be able to communicate clearly and easily with each other.”

University Advising Services, previously known as the Center for Academic Advising and Retention Services, underwent a name change to reflect this joint effort of success, Koch

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

said.

“Retention is the business of everyone at this institution,” Koch said. “The old name suggested that the job of retention rested with one department. Advising is one of the first points of contact for our students, so it must be nurtured and grown properly and carefully.”

The new First Year Experience Program, beginning Fall 2014, will also be located in the Academic Commons Building, Koch said.

“The First Year Experience program will integrate learning communities or the (first-year) seminar with freshman advising

SPORTS...........3B LIFE...............5B EXTRA.............8B

and a tracking system that we want to use to help monitor how our students are doing,” Koch said. “We would share that information among the students’ advisers, FYE instructors and their general education professors, as well as other offices that have a need to know, so that we can help students get the support they need faster.”

In addition to academic programs, the Academic Commons Building will also have areas for students to work in, Koch said.

“There are five study rooms,” Koch said. “One is dedicated specifically to math.

There’s also a 22-seat comput-

er lab and a 36-seat classroom where we’ve put everything on wheels so we can configure it

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ARE THERE REAL VAMPIRES?...6B

KOCH

Please recycle your paper.

2A NEWS

MILITARY

Veterans, military to be honored at game PACE HOLDBROOKS 6M_[ -LQ\WZ VM_[(NTWZITI VM\

Attendees of the final home football game of the season may notice a slight change in the uniforms of the UNA Lions.

Yellow ribbon stickers will be placed on the back of each player’s helmet as part of a joint effort between the Department of Athletics and ROTC to coordinate a veterans and military appreciation day on Nov. 2, said Lt. Col. Michael Snyder, director of ROTC. “We owe a great debt of gratitude to those that have served our country and we are excited about the opportunity to link arms with our ROTC program as we did last year and honor those veterans and current military,” said Mark Linder, director of athletics. “I know there are a lot of veterans in the area that plan on attending and we plan on recognizing them.”

AT A GLANCE

• VETERANS

AND MILITARY WILL BE

ALLOWED INTO GAME FOR FREE

BY PRESENTING VALID

• GUEST

I.D.

TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR

VETS AND MILITARY BY VISITNG

FLOWERS HALL

BOX OFFICE

BEFORE THE GAME THIS WEEK

• PUBLIC

WELCOME TO PLACE YEL-

LOW RIBBON STICKERS ON PLAYERʼS HELMETS AT

FRIDAY, NOV. 1 6 P.M. AT BRALY STADIUM

Oct. 31, 2013 • The Flor-Ala

NATIONAL

Why should students care about...

SECRECY? MATT WILSON

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A ruling by a Supreme Court judge on Sept. 12 has widened the reaches of the federal government’s powers to obtain and possess information about U.S. citizens and anyone involved with U.S. relations.

A federal judge in September endorsed a decision that certain information can be classified as propaganda, which in turn makes it unavailable even if Freedom of Information Act documents are filed and the information is requested.

The government classifies certain information and usually gives as a reason for doing so as protecting sensitive intelligence methods, but this time the government argued that turning that information over to unclassified sources could result in its use as propaganda against the U.S.

How does this case tie in to other stories in the news about

government secrecy?

It took place during the middle of the NSA’s reach and breadth being disclosed and after Edward Snowden began releasing information that showed just how much and what type of information the federal government was collecting.

Greg Pitts, department chair of communications, said he is glad that citizens at least have a Supreme Court at times like this.

“We are fortunate as a nation to have a supreme court to weigh in on things like this,” Pitts said. “With the NSA and Snowden issues, it has made us have to suddenly face up to what might have been recorded.”

It is about the ability of a governed people to keep its government in check, Pitts said.

Why are these issues important?

“It is important,” Pitts said. “It is dealing with the availability of information in our lives. It is dealing with the fundamen-

tals of the First Amendment.”

Evan Sandy finds the recent stories of government secrecy be a bit suspicious, he said.

“I’m most curious to know how many dangerous and real terrorist plots have been thwarted as courtesy of the NSA,” Sandy said. “I would like to see a report of the results of government spying, as I said, how much danger that has actually been averted, not that I or anyone else would be too willing to trust the document or the report in the first place.”

So, why does this seem to be happening more often?

In referring to recent allegations of the United States spying on foreign allies such as German Premeir, Angela Merkel, Pitts said that he thinks it reflects on the fact that we live in more complicated times.

“For the average citizen (and) the journalist, we have had to come to terms with the fact that this level of snooping, of eavesdropping exists,” Pitts said.

Derek McClanahan, a junior, said he is more concerned about the recent revelations of how much information the government is collecting and why they are doing so.

“I don’t think they have a right to do it,” McClanahan said. “It seems invasive and violates our privacy.”

But is there hope?

“I think we can always hold government accountable,” Pitts said. “Hopefully it is journalists that share the information and get it out there, but we have seen that whistleblowers such as Snowden can be important too.”

SGA

Senate discusses building name, policies SIERRA KENNEDY

Veterans and community members are invited to join the athletic trainers at Braly Stadium on Friday, Nov. 1 at 6 p.m. to help place the stickers, which commemorate veteran appreciation, on the helmets, said Tyler Unsicker, assistant athletic director of external operations.

Although the stickers have been placed on the helmets before, this will be the first year that placing the stickers will be a public event, he said.

“If students want to volunteer and assist with the trainers, they can come help the athletic trainers put decals on the helmets on Friday,” Snyder said. “It’s just another way to stop, reflect and put a yellow ribbon in remembrance of our fallen warriors and those who are serving.”

In addition to the helmet stickers, any veterans or military personnel that can present a valid identification will be admitted to the game for free and will receive tickets for a guest if they pick up their tickets at the Flowers Hall box office the week of the game, Linder said.

“Being a former football player with family in the military, I think that

;\]LMV\ ?ZQ\MZ [SMVVMLa (]VI ML] SGA Senate met to discuss names for the Academic Commons Building and other potential policies and upcoming events on campus.

President William Cale declined Senate’s request to name the new Academic Commons Building after current UNA professor Larry Nelson.

“Our request was denied because typically a building is named after a person once they are not longer employed by the university,” said SGA President Laura Giles. “Since Dr. Nelson still teaches classes at UNA the building will not be named after him.”

The senators also voted on a bill that would change the homecoming court voting process by requiring those nominated by an RSO to go through an interview process.

If passed, students would then be able to vote for homecoming king and queen based on the top five male and female attendants the panel of faculty, staff and students.

“By passing this bill, being selected w

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photo by ROGER WANG I Staff Photographer

SGA senators Adam McCollon, Leanne Vogel, Jensen Joiner and Nick Lang listen to discussions during their Oct. 24 meeting. One topic discussed was the denied request to name the Academic Commons Building after Larry Nelson.

NEWS 3A

Oct. 31, 2013 • The Flor-Ala

SGA

Freshman Forum sets goals, includes 1,830 service hours

photo by SARAH HOLLIDAY I Staff Photographer

Members of Freshman Forum vote during their meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 23. The forum’s service committee set a goal for members to complete 1,830 hours of service total during the 2013-2014 school year, commemorating the year the university was founded.

ASHLEY REMKUS

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In addition to hosting events on campus, Freshman Forum has set a goal for the forum’s members to put in 1,830 service hours this year.

To start collecting hours, members are going trick or treating for canned goods in seven neighborhoods around Florence on Oct. 31 to kickoff a canned food drive that will begin on campus Friday.

“We decided to set a goal of 1,830 service hours since the university was founded in the year 1830,” said Justice Gilbert of the service committee, which set the 1,830 hour goal.

At the Oct. 23 meeting, the service committee announced that drop off spots will be set up in various campus locations to collect cans for two weeks to allow students to participate. The service committee will deliver the cans on Nov. 15 to the Florence Help Center.

“I feel like everyone should take a lit-

tle time out of their day to do something for someone else,” Gilbert said.

Freshman Forum President Carson Hagood said that, although the forum has set a number of goals, he is pleased with their progress so far.

“We not only want to meet our expectations and goals, but we want to exceed them,” Hagood said. “We have a lot of great minds who are getting a lot accomplished, with which I am very happy.”

Student Issues Committee Chairperson Mollie Schaefer is heading up efforts

to get the campus recycling program built up. They would like to see recycling bins added in the residence halls and located in more places across campus than where they currently are, Schaefer said.

“More recycling on campus will open up opportunity for more grants from the Alabama Legislature. They give grants to groups who are green,” said student issues committee member Alec Prince.

In an effort to raise money for SGA’s

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RSO

Communication organization to hold speech contest ASHLEY REMKUS

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A speech contest scheduled for Nov. 7 is the first event planned by the new registered student organization, Lion Com, the first-ever public communication organization on campus has scheduled a speech contest for Nov. 7.

The contest, open only to students enrolled in Communication 201 Fundamentals of Speech or Communication 210 Business and Professional Speech in the spring, summer or fall semesters during 2013, began with a preliminary competition on Tuesday,. The top six speakers will compete for a first place prize of $100, a $75 second place prize and a $50 third place prize all funded by the Department of Communications.

“We’ve only opened the contest to these students because we think these classes are predominately freshman, and we don’t want this to be a competition between new students and seniors who have already studied communication,” said Lion Com President Lauren Alsup.

Speeches for the preliminary round, required to be five minutes in length, could cover any persuasive or informative topic.

The final round of competition for the top six speakers. Set to take place next week, it requires that speeches last between eight and 10 minutes.

“This is a way for us to get our name out there,” said Lion Com faculty adviser Stephanie Montgomery.

The organization is also planning events to reach out to the entire campus community by helping students from all majors and concentrations develop their communication skills. The events, which are still in the discussion and planning phases, include personal tutoring with members of Lion Com. Workshops and seminars that will be designed to assist students who wish to build communication skills suitable for a variety of environments, are also included.

“We want to be a resource for the entire campus community because everyone needs communication skills,”Alsup said.

“No matter what your major is, you are

going to need the skills that we want to teach.”

Some of the areas of communication skills the group wants to teach in seminars and workshops include interviewing, deception cues, argu-

mentation and debate, blended family communication speech delivery, listening, interpersonal skills, stress relief, health communication [patient-doctor

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4A IMAGES

Oct. 31, 2013 • The Flor-Ala

Hear Ye, Hear Ye Patricia Register, Justin Register and Lizzy Fleete pose in their Renaissance costumes at the 27th annual Alabama Renaissance Faire.

Zoe Medeiros and Lara Medeiros pose for a photograph.

Many who attended the festival dressed up in costumes.

A group of local students perform traditional songs during the Renaissance Faire. The state’s annual festival was held Oct. 26 and 27 at Wilson Park.

Festival brings history to Shoals ROGER WANG

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The Shoals hosted the 27th annual Alabama Renaissance Faire on Oct. 26 and 27. The Renaissance took place in Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries. I got a lot of interesting photos while I was attending the Renaissance Faire festival.

People were dressed in traditional Renaissance-era clothing, and I saw many cute dogs dressed up, too. I found that some people who dress up not only have the ac-

Cazh Daugherty, Rusty Lewis and Bruce Spence provide festival attendees with traditional music and entertainment during the Renaissance Faire.

cent but also are very talented at drama.

Most of the people there were good at singing songs and performing dramas.

Also, some people sold European clothes at the Renaissance Faire. Some people drew architectural pictures on the grassland. The most interesting part of the Renaissance Faire is the people who dressed up and took part in the fencing competition.

The Renaissance Faire has something for everyone. I learned a lot, and I wish could attend other festivals like this in the future.

For more photos of the Alabama Renaissance Faire, check out www.florala.net.

NEWS 5A

Oct. 31, 2013 • The Flor-Ala >-01+4-; KWV\QV]ML NZWU XIOM ) more, said she is just now hearing about the recent break-ins. ing about the recent break-ins.

“I did not even know about this,” Mullins said. “My RAs have not notified me. I feel safe parking there, I get nervous walking alone at night there, but I do the same everywhere at night.”

She believes that more students should have known about these recent incidents around campus in some way, Mullins said.

“I think the RAs should have let us know or there should’ve been a lion alert,” Mullins said. “There should be more lighting around there.”

Students and faculty should be aware of their safety when choosing a parking spot, Pastula said.

“Everyone on campus, or anywhere, should be locking their doors and placing items of value out of the view of the public eye,” Pastula said. “These thieves are opportunistic, and take advantage of unlocked doors and items being advertised by sitting out in the open.”

Keeping valuables hidden and out of sight can also prevent the chance of a break-in, Pastula said.

“Things like GPS’s and valuables

;=++-;; KWV\QV]ML NZWU XIOM ) for different settings.”

Darius Nelson, sophomore, appreciates the help given with these programs, he said.

“I use the writing center for my English classes,” Nelson said. “When you have things like research papers and essays due in class, it’s good to get an outside perspective on how to make them better.”

He also likes idea of having all the programs on one floor, Nelson said.

“With everything being in once place, it will be less of a walk,” Nelson said.

“You won’t have to find the math center, and then find the writing center. If you need help with more than one thing, it will all be in the same place.”

THERE ARE THREE

should be locked in the center console or glove box of the vehicle,” said Pastula. “Larger items should be placed in the trunk of the car. If there are no other places to park, simply taking precautions, and calling the police if they see anything suspicious should limit exposure to criminal activity.”

One of the break-ins affected a friend and pledge brother, said freshman Jackson Townsend.

Since his friend’s break-in, Townsend has noticed an increase in patrol at night.

“There’s been a lot more patrol at night, especially in the Lafeyette parking lot,” he said.

Savien Payne, an entertainment industry major, said he was aware of the break-ins at Applebee and Grandview.

“Even though these buildings aren’t directly on campus, they are in the jurisdiction of the campus police,” Payne said. “It’ll be interesting to see how the police try to resolve the issue.”

Drew Treece said he feels that other university’s have stricter campus rules to enforce safety.

“I didn’t really notice how unsafe photo illustration by CHELSEA PARRISH I Student Photographer our campus can be until I visited other The number of vehicle break-ins are unsurprising, but kind of unusual for the fall schools that have more strictly enforced semester, said junior Kennedy Pope. Students are advised to lock their doors and rules and regulations concerning both keep valuables, such as laptops and jewelery, hidden, Pastula said. students and guests on campus,” Treece, an entertainment industry major, said.

Joseph Cole, a senior, said he admires that UNA offers so many services to help students.

“I actually work for the math center, and I think it’s good that the school invests time, effort and resources into making sure that their students are successful,” Cole said. “Ultimately, we’re all here to get an education. Some of us just need a little bit more help than others.”

Getting help will be more convenient with everything being in one place, Cole said.

“It will be easier for teachers to refer students there,” Cole said. “If they’ve gone there for help in one subject, then they know exactly where it is. You don’t have to try to send them to different places, and they can see that everything is there and have a better idea of what all they can get help with.”

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6A NEWS

Oct. 31, 2013 • The Flor-Ala

ENTERTAINMENT

Students to establish website for Florence nightlife

file photo by CHRISTINA COVINGTON I Senior Staff Photographer

Leilani Dimeler, a student, and other party goers attend Society Florence’s first event, titled “The Society,” on March 1 at Indie Spaces in Downtown Florence.

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Students desiring to learn about upcoming entertainment events near campus may want to check out Society Florence. The off-campus organization of students and community residents are currently planning several events and will be establishing a new website, shoalsnightlife.com, in the coming weeks, said Stan Collins, founder of Society Florence and UNA student.

“Society Florence is an organization focused on promoting the music scene and building a network among all the musicians, bands, and venues in the area,” Collins said. “In late November, we are having a DJ Relay Party at Faces which will feature several local DJ’s with different styles. We are starting to plan an all day event in the spring with a bunch if local bands at Riverfront Park though we don’t yet have a date set.”

The group’s website, societyflorence. com, focuses predominantly on event coverage and promotion, featuring articles and listings of upcoming events in the Shoals area, Collins said.

“We keep up with what musicians and bands are playing where, but we are about to start setting up exclusive interviews with local bands,” Collins said.

“We are also about to start showcasing music from as many local artists as possible in order to set up a network among the creative in the area. The site is getting 150 views a day on average during the week and more than that 200 on the weekends.”

The organization also intends to set up a new website as part of a partnership to promote the Florence nightlife with Zellus Marketing, Huntsville-based marketing group. Through the partnership, students in the organization will be able to take part in event planning and promotion all over north Alabama, Collins said.

“They (Zellus Marketing) reached out to us because they had plans of starting shoalsnightlife.com but they saw that we had already started something in the area so instead of competing, we decided to work together,” Collins said. “We will run society Florence, shoalsnightlife. com, and help out with the (already established) Huntsville sites.“ Up until this partnership, moving forward has been somewhat of a struggle, Collins said.

“I don’t make any money with it so I’m not really sure where to go with it next,” Collins said. “I do it to spread information and help promote all the things that are going on in this area.”

While Society Florence is an interesting idea, there may be some hazards if the

file photo by CHRISTINA COVINGTON I Senior Staff Photographer

Art lines the walls of Indie Spaces during Society Florence’s first official event. This was the first party held at Indie Spaces, Boyd said.

organization were to continue planning events of their own, said Senior Christopher Goodman.

“I can’t say that I oppose the fact that someone wants to go and earn some money,” he said. “For legal purposes, it isn’t fair to allow a group to carry on with activity that isn’t really covered by any legal documentation that holds them accountable for anything that could possibly happen at an event that they hold.”

Jennifer Weeks, a sophomore, said

she believes students are the main voice of what events will work in Florence and should actively participate in building up the city’s culture.

“It shows that students are, in fact, willing to work and show great work ethic to prove they can in fact plan events and see them played out,” she said.

Editor’s note: Staff Writer Matt Wilson contributed to the reporting of this story.

VIEWPOINTS 7A

Oct. 31, 2013 • The Flor-Ala

Students should stick to their convictions 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 JAMES DUBUISSON SPORTS EDITOR ANNA GRACE USERY ONLINE EDITOR LAURA IVIE BUSINESS MANAGER KEVEN RIVERA-ORTIZ GRAPHIC DESIGNER LELA AARON-VICENTE CIRCULATION MANAGER WILEY BELEW WALTER HARTLEY KAYLA STINNETT ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES ALLI OWNBY CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER SARAH HOLLIDAY DALLAS MOORE ROGER WANG STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS REBECCA WALKER ADVISER

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Today is Halloween, as I’m sure we are all aware. One of my favorite things about this holiday is a special event that occured 496 years ago on this day.

Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the All Saints’ Church in Wittenburg, Germany, signaling the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, which would change the course of the Christian Church, and world history, for good.

This event is something I deeply care about for a number of reasons, but I want to focus on why Luther would nail his writings to a door.

It’s simple really. The church door is where everyone would look. It was the town bul-

letin board.

It’s amazing to think that the guy posted his thoughts on a door and from that simple act important information was able to get out, spreading like wildfire to like-minded people who would change the world, but not before costing many of them their lives.

As students, we all probably have causes we care about.

These are convictions that we are more than willing to stand up for. In order to express our opinions, we turn to the “church doors” of our time: tweets, facebook posts and hopefully this paper.

However, I often ask myself this question: once students have expressed their opinions, like Luther did, what happens?

Furthermore, how would students react to the issues that need reacting to?

My thought is that we really don’t react at all.

What made Luther’s nailing of the 95 theses to the door effective was the reaction of the people — the feeling bursting forth in their hearts that what was written on that parchment was true and mattered. I’m

not convinced that many of us care that much about anything, at least not enough to gain the amount of traction needed to make a difference in this day and age.

A good example of this would be Joseph Kony. Remember that guy? Yeah, me neither, but I’m pretty sure nothing came of our day-long campaign to #stopKony last year.

Why is that?

Well, it’s not that we don’t care; I just don’t think we care with enough focus on what actually affects us. I think we latch on to what’s cool or whatever the culture deems important. I think we often miss the point because we don’t take time to consider what should actually matter to us.

Frankly, I think that the ones in our generation who get the short end of the stick are the ones that actually stick to their guns and express their convictions in a logical and consistent manner. These individuals are those who believe in an idea absolutely, and their intensity and work ethic show it, because they really care.

I’d love to see the organiza-

tions on campus that stand for something get the recognition they deserve, but it starts with us actually paying attention to each other, being less concerned with reacting and more focused on listening.

Like I mentioned before, I do see our paper as being one of the many “church doors” that individuals in our campus community can go to when they have information they want to make others aware of.

More importantly, I see our paper as one where students can ask us questions, where we can in turn ask the people who have answers. We can, and desire to, be advocates for those on our campus who don’t feel they can speak up, or maybe just don’t know how to say what they need to.

As more people begin to speak up, I would also hope people would pay attention to what we are writing and give us feedback. I think this is how we can make the changes we see fit to make on this campus. See the need, listen to others and work together to make a difference.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Campus smoking ban needed I am a long time Republican Conservative and Business owner. Although I strongly support personal rights and responsibility, I do generally support smoking bans, including full campus smoking bans. These Campus tobacco bans need to also include electronic cigarettes and chewing tobacco. College is an Institution where today’s best

are being prepared to be tomorrow’s leaders and tobacco has no place in such a setting.

Bill Kerschner Rockford, Ill.

Your campus. Your news.

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Congratulations to our Writer and Photographer of the Week!

Jasmine Fleming and Courtney Watkins FOR THE RECORD...

We strive to get it right the first time, but when we donʼt, we are happy to set the record straight.

•

In the Oct. 24 issue, the general elective credit hours requirement changed from 128 to 120 hours.

8A NEWS

Oct. 31, 2013 • The Flor-Ala

+75 KWV\QV]ML NZWU XIOM )

communication], story telling and relationships, Montgomery said. “I think this would help with interviewing for a job,� said Shayla Pearsall, a nursing major. “An anxiety workshop would also be beneficial.�

UNA nursing student Jessica Potts said that it was one thing to get the answers right on a test, but a completely different thing to walk into a patient’s room and put your skills into action. “That requires good communication skills,� Potts said.

The need for the skills that Lion Com would like to teach in its workshops was evident in Lion Com’s Vice President Seth Turner’s professional world experience, he said. “When I was hired by Apple Inc., the company helped me hone my skills in communication that I already had in order to do what they needed me to do,�

Turner said. “They didn’t just teach me how to communicate, but spent their time teaching me how to work specifically for the company. What they [employers] need are people who can build relationships.�

�

WR ARE TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO TEACH STUDENTS SKILLS THAT ARE OFTEN REQUIRED, BUT NEVER TAUGHT. WE THINK THE WAY TO DO THIS WILL BE THROUGH THE INDIVUDAL TUTORING AND WORKSHOPS WEĘźVE DISCUSSED.

STEPHANIE MONTGOMERY Alsup said that two workshops she would like to see most included gender communication and social media, especially in today’s technological world. “We are trying to find ways to teach students skills that are often required but never taught,� Montgomery said. “We think the way to do this will be through the individual tutoring and workshops we’ve discussed.�

Although the organization has only 10 members now, the group is looking to expand its membership, Montgomery said.

The low membership may be that the student body is not aware of what public communication encompasses, Alsup said. “When I started at UNA, I knew that I wanted to major in Communications, but I didn’t know what I wanted to concentrate on,� Alsup said. “I had no idea what public communication was, but once I found out what it was about, I knew that was what I wanted to study.“ “I got a late start in the game because of that, and I don’t want it to be too late for other students to decide that they might like to study public communication as well.�

Lion Com meets on Thursdays at 3:30 p.m. in Communications Building Room 130.

For information about joining Lion Com, to share suggestions or to learn more about communication tutoring, Montgomery may be contacted at slmontgomery@una.edu or Alsup may be contacted at salsup@una.edu.

photo by ROGER WANG I Staff Photographer

Senators Brittany Leach and Ashley Cazer during the SGA senate meeting on Oct. 24. A bill that proposed altering the homecoming court candidate selection process was voted on but failed to pass during the meeting.

;/) KWV\QV]ML NZWU XIOM ) on homecoming court would be considered more prestigious because there is an interview and students would be able to choose the king and queen from five people instead of 20,� said senator Matt Jones.

Each RSO would be able to nominate one student for king and queen but those nominated would go through a selection process based on school spirit, campus involvement, leadership and academics.

The top five males and females would represent the homecoming court and

.:-;05)6 KWV\QV]ML NZWU XIOM ) endowed scholarship, Freshman Forum will host Panera Night on Nov. 13 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Panera Bread.

The finance committee announced the group will pass out fliers around campus to be taken to Panera Bread. A percentage of the sales during the four-hour time slot will be donated to the scholarship fund.

To supplement this donation, Freshman Forum members donate loose change at weekly meetings to add to the collection. “This is something small we can do to give back to UNA,� said Maggie Coan, public relations committee member.

The forum will also be partnering with SGA Senate to kick off a Nov. 7 car-

/)5-,)A KWV\QV]ML NZWU XIOM ) what they are doing with the veterans is awesome,� said Richie Mata’afa, a senior. “Military vets have put their lives on the line so that people like myself have the opportunity to play the game of football and others can enjoy watching it.�

The ROTC will participate in a mixed color guard at the beginning of the game, which will feature current cadets in the program, as well as active military and several veterans organization from the shoals area, Snyder said.

whoever received the most votes from students would be crowned king and queen. “I think that by requiring an interview it will complicate the system,� said senator Rachel Gandy. “Yes there should be a change to the way the homecoming court is selected, but I don’t feel like this is the way to do it.�

21 RSOs have signed up for a free booth at the Paint it Purple First Friday on Nov. 1, Giles said. “We want lots of participation at the Paint it Purple Friday since it is the night before Preview Day,� Giles said. “Encourage your friends to go so there will be a great turnout.�

Senate has pushed back the deadline to get signature for the Smoke Free Campus Petition. Students have until Nov. 7 to sign the petition.

Rules and Regulations Chairwoman Heather Fields is working toward integrating recycling in the dorms. They are teaming up with the Outdoor Adventure Center to help facilities change out the bins.

SGA’s Fall Carnival will be at the Amphitheatre on Thursday, Nov. 7 from 6 to 10 p.m.

SGA will be hosting a financial literacy class with Listerhill Credit Union from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Stone Lodge on Nov. 12.

nival for the student body from 6-8 p.m. “We’re going to be doing face painting, a cake walk, games and a lot of other stuff at the carnival,� said Steven Greer, a finance committee member.

The University Program Council and Freshman Forum will partner to host a mixer for students in the Guillot University Center from 7-10 p.m featuring DJ Papa Rooster on Nov. 22. “[The mixer] is a way to get people in a relaxed environment,� said finance committee member Dylan McKelvey. “We want students to know that we’re on the same level as them. It is our purpose to advocate for the freshman class so that they won’t feel inferior to upperclassmen and SGA members, because of the stereotype given to freshman.�

The social committee got a bill passed at the Oct. 23 meeting that would allow

the committee access to funds that would help pay for the DJ and supply drinks for attendees. “I think it helps give the upperclassmen a way to teach the freshman how to fit in,� said UNA student Kelsey Aycock. “Being in that environment [at the mixer] probably helps with that, too.�

In addition to their November activities, Freshman Forum has several projects that are at the top of their agenda to accomplish during the 2013-2014 school year, Hopkins said.

Student issues committee member Dominic Summerhill is heading the video promotion project. He wants to use Freshman Forum’s YouTube videos on its new Instagram profile, he said.

The Instagram posts will include snippets from the videos to let students find out what Freshman Forum is planning.

“Veterans will carry the flags too, so it will be our future leaders and our past leaders carrying our colors together on the field,� Snyder said.

The Pride of Dixie Marching band will alter the end of their halftime set to feature a medley of songs representing each branch of the military to honor veterans and active military, Snyder said.

During the game, ROTC cadets will be positioned throughout the stadium to accept donations to fund a future Operation HOOAH event. HOOAH stands for Healing Outside Of A Hospital and the corresponding event is a day of guided

fishing tours in local lakes for wounded warriors hosted by Southern Fishing News, Snyder said. “Last year we raised money for the wounded warrior project,� Snyder said. “This year we wanted to bring (our fundraising) closed to home and sponsoring Operation HOOAH is the way to do it.�

The athletic department has also ordered 100 hats commemorating the event that will be sold at the game, if they are delivered in time, Unsicker said. Whenever the hats are sold, $6 of each purchased hat sold will be donated by the athletic department to Operation HOOAH, he said.

HALL ENTERTAINMENT

WEEN

SECTION B

Oct. 31, 2013• The Flor-Ala

CAMPUS FRIGHT LIFE photo illustration by ALLI OWNBY I Chief Photographer

A student walks across campus on a dark night. Alumna Debra Glass leads evening ghost tours across campus during the month of October. Ghosts are supposedly located in Bibb-Graves Hall, Willingham Hall, Wesleyan Hall, the Guillot University Center and the off-campus bookstore.

Alumna, faculty recount campus ghost stories KAITLYN TEW

;\]LMV\ ?ZQ\MZ S\M_(]VI ML]

When students take a tour of campus for the first time, their curiosity can often be sparked when they learn that several buildings on campus and in the surrounding area are said to be haunted. Local author and UNA alumna Debra Glass is known throughout the area for her knowledge of the history surrounding these stories.

For the past several years, Glass has been doing ghost tours in the Shoals. Glass said her interest in the supernatural started at a young age.

“I think it was because my dad let me watch ‘Dark Shadows’ and ‘The Twilight Zone’ and things like that when I was really little,” Glass said. “That

IN THIS SECTION

was always my favorite thing.

I loved Halloween and I loved any kind of paranormal T.V. show or book.”

Glass has been doing ghost tours for 11 years. After growing up in the Shoals area and attending UNA, Glass knows several stories — including a friendly whistling ghost in Bibb-Graves Hall, the spirit of a drowning victim in Wesleyan Hall and the troubled phantom of a young woman in the GUC. Nicolas Hentz, who owned a school where Willingham now stands, supposedly haunts Willingham Hall. An eccentric fellow, Hentz was known for playing loud piano music late into the night, Glass said.

Stephen Melvin, an English instructor, said he had a strange experience when he went to his office in Willingham to get a

book late one night.

“It was several years ago,” Melvin said. “We were redoing this building, in particular the basement, which was already a scary place. I got right into this office and I heard this violent pounding.”

The pounding rang out so loud that he could feel the pulse in his chest, Melvin said.

“It felt like it was coming from underneath,” he said. “I broke rule number one: Don’t investigate the noise in the basement.”

Peering into the illuminated basement, Melvin saw that the area was completely empty, he said.

“There was absolutely nothing,” he said. “I came all the way back up the steps, got into my office and I grabbed the book, and I heard it again.”

Except this time, the spectral pounding was accompanied by what sounded like a muffled male voice, Melvin said.

“I didn’t run,” he said. “I’m very proud of that, but I walked very briskly out of this building, and I don’t like to be in it after it gets dark and there’s nobody else in here.”

Melvin considers himself to be a huge skeptic, he said.

“I don’t know if there was anything to it,” he said. “It was enough to creep me out.”

The stories are interesting, said freshman Ree Strickland.

“I think it’s cool,” Strickland said. “It means the campus has history.”

Molly, the spirit of a little girl, is said to haunt the OffCampus Bookstore and Mrs. O’Neal, the wife of governor of Alabama Edward O’Neal is said

The History of Pride Rock

PPreviews of upcoming games

Untitled Film Experiment

See page 3B

See page 4B

See page 5B

to reside in the white house next door. Glass said it is possible to see the image of a woman in a window of the house.

“A lot of people on my tour have seen that image in the window, especially the daytime tours,” Glass said. “The best time to see it is around noon or so. If it’s lightly cloudy outside, you can see it really well.”

The thought of ghosts on campus is not something that bothers her, said freshman Ashley Sauthard.

“Unless someone’s died in there recently, it’s not going to bother me,” Sauthard said.

“As long as it’s nothing like in ‘American Horror Story,’ it doesn’t bother me.”

Is vampirism a learned behavior?

See page 6B

2B HALL

WEEN

NARRATIVE

Oct. 31, 2013 • The Flor-Ala

Halloween Memories: A student’s story ”C H , JIMMY CLEMMONS

;\]LMV\ ?ZQ\MZ RKTMUUWV[(]VI ML]

What kid doesn’t like Halloween?

Technically, Halloween isn’t a celebrated holiday where one gets off of work with pay, such as Thanksgiving or Christmas.

It is, however, for a young’in liked almost as much as Christmas.

For me Halloween meant one thing; you got to eat as much candy as your little stomach could hold. And it was all free.

When I was young, Trick or Treating, as we referred to Halloween, was always well anticipated at least two weeks before the big night. All the kids would be planning out what t h e y

were going to dress up as.

If you were a little boy, you might be a cowboy, fireman, soldier, or maybe a monster. Little girls, tended to dress up as princesses, and witches. One could always buy their favorite costume at the local K-mart store.

Back in the 1960s, in my hometown of Florence, Ala. you could buy a costume for about two dollars. Even at that price though, a lot of kids would rather make their own costume. In fact, it was encouraged buy a lot of their parents, because simple put, two dollars was pretty hard to come by, just for something that wasn’t going to be worn but for one night a year.

Us kids, we didn’t hold any kind of resentment towards our parents because we were wearing homemade costumes, while some of the other kids were wearing brand new store-bought costumes; in fact we rather liked it.

For one night a year all of us little boys were allowed to play with our momma’s make-up and not have to worry about being called a sissy by anyb o d y.

T h e red lip

photo by KALI DANIEL I Life Editor

HALF

ANDY DEFINITELY WAS ONE OF THE BETTER THINGS ABOUT ALLOWEEN ASIDE FROM PULLING A TRICK OR TWO ON SOMEONE; BECAUSE THAT ONE DAY A YEAR YOU GOT TO EAT SOME TYPES OF CANDY THAT YOU NORMALLY DIDNʼT GET. stick was always cool, because it looked just like blood, and some of the other stuff was good for camouflage for a soldier going into combat.

Another thing about Trick or Treating in the 1960s in our little community, was your momma’s and daddy’s didn’t have too much too worry about some tragedy befallen their kids, such as getting kidnapped or beat up or even murdered by some deranged psycho. I guess something like that might could have happened, not that we didn’t have any crime in our town; but you must remember where I came from we were all just plain old country folk. We just couldn’t see bringing that kind of misery on another’s family; and besides, if someone did have some sort of inclination to do something that evil they couldn’t ever get away with it, because everyone knew everybody else.

Our neighbors were so close, we knew what time of day the neighbors on the left side of your property milked their cow and what time the neighbors on the right

;MM +)6,A XIOM *

AND

VLAD, I

HALF

BY

LOCAL

KALI DANIEL

DON’T GET IT.

I

PLAN

GREAT PARTIES FOR HUMANS BUT THEY NEVER COME BACK.

THEY

PROBABLY JUST DON’T

APPRECIATE YOUR HEARTICHOKE DIP.

Ghost haunts student publications office PACE HOLDBROOKS 6M_[ -LQ\WZ VM_[(NTWZITI VM\

EVEN

side collected the eggs from the hen house. Nothing happened without someone knowing.

Candy definitely was one of the better things about Halloween, aside from pulling a trick or two on someone; because that one day a year you got to eat some types of candy that you normally didn’t get. For instance, there were the orange colored marshmallow peanuts, and then there was the candy corn, Bazooka Joe bubble gum, pixie sticks, suckers, all kinds of miniature chocolate candy bars, and don’t forget the old faithful peanut nugget wrapped in a orange or black colored piece of wax paper.

Some of our neighbors made homemade cookies and candies to give to the kids. I remember this one old lady, on every Halloween she made homemade peanut bridle.

There was this one old man, he didn’t give us anything to eat, but he did give us water to drink. Now this wasn’t water like most folks got from a city water system, but was water that was hand drawn from a well. And let me tell you this there ain’t no kind of water any better than fresh well water that is drank from a metal ladle out of an old metal bucket.

This old feller’s house was the last one on our Trick or Treating route every year and after a hard night of Halloweening, man that cool water sure tasted good. If I close my eyes I can still see him now, sitting out on his front porch in a rocking chair, with a pair of Carhart overalls on, and a big chaw of Red Man chewing tobacco stuck in one side of his cheek.

He’d be

IF THAT’S TRUE, MY

DEADICATION MAKES UP FOR IT.

IT

WOULD HELP IF YOU

DIDN’T LIVE ON A DEAD END.

It must have been about 3 a.m. I was designing my pages for the paper, as I do every Monday night, when in the reflection of my computer screen I caught the glimpse of something.

I still can’t be sure what I saw, but I know what I typed into our staff’s Facebook group.

“Guys I’m hallucinating ghosts in the office,” my comment said. “I’m praying over the building and going home. Don’t talk to me.”

Now, I have a bit of a reputation for making ridiculous statements, but this one was a stretch even for me. So what did I see?

Like I said, I can’t be sure.

“It looked like a woman with long hair in a blue antebellum gown was standing

in the doorway watching me work on the computer,” I told Blythe, our managing editor. “She didn’t look angry, she just looked perplexed. Then she was gone.”

Though I assured my colleagues that I had been up very late drinking too much coffee and staring too long at a computer screen, they were convinced there was some truth to my statement.

The following day I was called into the office of our media adviser.

“Tell me exactly what you saw,” she said with quite possibly the most serious look I’d ever seen her wear.

I told her my story in it’s entirety: coffee, up late, antebellum ghost, etc.

“It’s not the first time I’ve wondered if there was something in the office, but I know the building just creaks,” I said.

“What do you mean, creaks?” she asked.

“Oh you know, the air conditioner,

;MM 78)4 XIOM *

SPORTS 3B

Oct. 31, 2013 • The Flor-Ala

REVIEWS

Week of Oct. 24-29 Thursday, Oct. 24 SOCCER UNA @ Shorter Univerisy 3-0 Win

Friday, Oct. 25

VOLLEYBALL

UNA vs. The University of West Georgia 25-27, 27-25, 20-25, 19-25 Loss

Saturday, Oct. 26

TRADITIONS

The History of

VOLLEYBALL UNA vs. Valdosta State University 25-14, 24-26, 21-25, 25-17, 15-8 Win

FOOTBALL UNA @ Valdosta State University 57-7 Win

CROSS COUNTRY

Sunday, Oct. 27 SOCCER

photo by SARAH HOLLIDAY I Staff Photographer

GSC Cross Country Meet MenĘźs 7th out of 7 Best Individual Finisher Clay Oden 47th 28:43.20 WomenĘźs 6th out of 12 Best Individual Finisher Savannah Roland 15th 19:32.98

Tradition dates back to championships

UNA @ Valdosta State University 2-0 Win

For these stories and more, go to florala.net/sports Follow: @FlorAlaSports on Twitter for the latest in UNA Athletics.

JASMINE FLEMING

;\INN ?ZQ\MZ RNTMUQVO (]VI ML]

Touching Pride Rock before home games is one of the most prominent traditions of the UNA football team.

The history behind the making of the 60-pound rock, and the success it stands for, goes back to the early 90s, said Jeff Hodges, sports information director. “In 1993 we won the NCAA

Division II Football National Championship, and it was the first one at this school,� Hodges said. “A lot of people were doing commemorative things, such as Coca-Cola’s commemorative coke bottle with the UNA logo on it. The city did some billboards, and a lot of people did paintings or drawings of special plays.�

People at the university began to ask what could be done

specifically to honor the team, Hodges said. “Around that time the movie ‘Lion King’ had come out, and (the characters) all lived on Pride Rock,� Hodges said. “The definition of pride not only means being proud of something, but it’s also a group of lions. So, we came up with the idea of having a Pride Rock.�

One of the most unique ideas for designing Pride Rock was

inspired by the mascot, Hodges said. “Joe Wallace, who was the caretaker for the lions, came up with the idea of having a granite piece and getting a paw print from the live lion mascot put on it,� Hodges said. “They put the paw print in black and added the word ‘Pride’ in fall of 1994,

;MM 8:1,- :7+3 XIOM *

4B SPORTS 8:1,- :7+3 KWV\QV]ML NZWU XIOM * which was the first year we had Pride Rock with us.�

Pride Rock used to appear at all UNA football games, Hodges said. “For five or six years, while Coach (Bobby) Wallace was still here and slightly after, Pride Rock was carried on all the away games, as well as home games,� Hodges said. “They stopped doing that because it’s very cumbersome, heavy and hard to transport. However, it’s still at all the home games.�

The football players touch Pride Rock on their way out of the dressing room, Hodges said. “The thought behind it was that the group before them put all they had into a national championship,� Hodges said. “It’s a symbol of what they did. (The current players) are part of that tradition now.�

Pride Rock helps to remind players of their goal, said Jerone White, a junior and defensive back. “We go into every game with one goal, and that’s to win,� White said. “Pride Rock is a reminder of that tradition and history. We play our hearts out every game — no matter the stadium, weather or opponent.�

Pride Rock is there to inspire us and to honor the players before us, White said. “When we see and touch Pride Rock, we remember all the great teams before us,� White said. “We will be one of the teams that future UNA football teams will think of when they touch Pride Rock.�

Pride Rock is inspirational, but it does not determine how well the team plays, said Devin Crawford, a senior and offensive linemen. “Pride Rock is a tradition,� Crawford said. “We play the same if we touch it or not. Every game is very important when your goal is to win national championships.�

Pride Rock holds him to a standard, Crawford said. “When I touch Pride Rock, I feel obligated to play my best for my teammates and coaches, and to honor the players before me,� Crawford said. “We are playing with a purpose. We play hard for our own benefit, as well as to honor those before us.�

Oct. 31, 2013 • The Flor-Ala

PREVIEWS

Basketball season begins, others finish JAMES DUBUISSON ;XWZ\[ -LQ\WZ [XWZ\[(NTWZITI VM\

There will be five Lion teams action in the coming week.

Several teams are preparing for their respective conference championships while one team is playing to put themselves in the driving seat of the Gulf South Conference. in

WOMENʟS BASKETBALL The women’s basketball team will play their first game against Vanderbilt University in an exhibition game in Nashville on Saturday, Nov. 2.

Missy Tiber will coach the Lions for the first time when they play Vanderbilt.

Tiber was named head coach of the team in June after several years at Southern Illinois University.

Nichelle Fillmore will be beginning her final season as a Lion. Fillmore is a senior from Birmingham. Four juniors, five sophomores and three freshmen will join her on the floor this season.

The game against Vanderbilt, who competes in Division I, will not count towards the Lions regular season record.

This will be the second year in a row that the women’s team has played a SEC school to start off the season.

The Lions first regular season game will be against Tennessee Temple in Flowers Hall on Nov. 12.

Football The Lions will play their biggest game of the season in their final home game against the University of West Alabama on Nov. 2.

The Tigers come into the game in first place in the Gulf South Conference standings. They are 4-0 in conference and a win against UNA would clinch the GSC championship for UWA. A UNA victory would create a threeway tie on top of the GSC standings.

UWA, UNA and Delta State University would all be 4-1 in conference. The Lions would own the tiebreaker as they defeated DSU earlier this season and would have defeated UWA to create the tie.

photo by MICHAEL REDDING I Senior Staff Photographer

Jennifer Towne goes up for a layup against Christian Brothers University in a game last year. Towne and the rest of the Lions women’s team will play in their first game of the year on Nov. 2.

Former UNA quarterback Will Hall will be returning to Braly Stadium for the second time since taking over as head coach of the Tigers in 2011. The game will also be the first time UWA has been to Florence since Bobby Wallace took over as head coach.

Soccer UNA played the University of Alabama-Huntsville at 7 p.m. in Huntsville on Wednesday Oct. 30 after press time.

The Lions will travel to Memphis to play Christian Brothers University in the last regular season game of the season.

The Lions, who are 6-7-2 as of press time, lost to CBU at home in overtime on Sept. 28 and will look to better them in their final game of the season.

The Osmond sisters (Jennifer and Julia) have led the Lions this season and will continue to do so in the GSC tournament.

The GSC tournament begins on Nov.

7. The tournament, held in Pensacola, Fla., will last four days, with an off day on Nov. 9.

Volleyball The struggling team will host Kentucky State University in Flowers Hall on Nov. 2. They will play in Flowers again against the University of AlabamaHuntsville on Nov. 5.

The Lions (6-17) played Christian Brothers University after press time in Memphis on Oct. 29.

Rugby The Lions lost 62-7 to Middle Tennessee State University on Oct. 19.

The team had a bye week after the loss and will play Freed-Hardaman University in Henderson, Tenn. on Nov. 2.

RACE FOR THE FALLEN Shoals Conference Center Florence, AL Saturday - 11.23.13 @ 7:00 PM w www.raceforthefallen.com Race features: fi i h medals finishers d l for f everyone, glow in the dark t-shirt, glow gear, after-party and awards ceremony, food and beverages, music/DJ, prizes and giveaways

Get $10 off registration by using Ge us the code: UNA10 Sponsored by:

Benefiting the:

LIFE 5B Untitled Film Experiment mixes art and music Oct. 31, 2013 • The Flor-Ala

ENTERTAINMENT

AANNA NNA KKATE ATE TTIPPETT IPPETT ;\\]L ;\]LMV\ ?ZQ\MZ ; ;\] ]LMV V\ ? \ ?Z ?ZQ\MZ ?ZQ I\QXXM\\(]VI ML] I\QX I\QX XXM XM\\(]VI ML L]

Composed Compo osed ooff 13 sscenes osed cenes written writer errs and and produced by 13 by 13 writers the “Untitled Silent filmmakers, the Fil Experiment” E i t” will ill premiere i att Film the end. theatre Oct. 31 at 8 p.m.

Seven bands and musicians composed the scores for the scenes and will perform them while 13 artists’ works are displayed during the show. All of the participants are local residents, and the filmmakers are students from the Film and Digital Media Production program. There will be no contact or collaboration between participants until they meet for the first time on Halloween night.

The seed for the idea was planted at a playwriting conference S Scott Long, owner of the end. theatre, attended in Alaska, th he said.

There he was told writers said have to figure out how to discard 99 percent perc of the feedback they are given. i “About three years ago, I was trying to figure out a way to do an experiment to study inspiration,” Long said. “Any group of people see the same thing and become inspired by it, and then you incorporate different mediums to see how inspiration takes place. There’s an analogy about an auto accident — four people see the same thing and walk away with different stories about it. There’s no such thing as truth. There’s just perception.”

The idea for a silent film m project took shape after Long contactontacted Jason Flynn, assistant professor ofessor of film and digital media producroduction, as well as Jared McCoy oy and Patrick Lindsay, the coordinators nators for Boxcar Voices, a spoken-word n-word poetry group.

The films are short and silent, with no dialogue or special effects.

Written and sent in by local writers, the scripts were then sent to local filmmakers, artists, photographers, bands and musicians.

All of the different pieces of the “Untitled Silent Film Experiment” will be put together for the first time on Halloween.

“The art and the music don’t so much complement the film as the film, the art and the music all com-

plement Lindsay plem meennt th the te ttext,” xt,” xt ,,”” L inds in dsay ds aayy ssaid. a d. ai d.

McCoy MccC Cooy is one onnee of of the tthhe 133 sscriptcriptcr writers.

“The way wrote ay I w roottee [[my myy script] and the way I told other to d oth the her people, was to think off itt almost alm most more like stage directions, since it was directionns, going to be translated into film i t b t l t d i t a fil medium,” he said. “The basic concept of describing the vision in your head clearly was more of the emphasis when it came to getting the stories down on paper, as opposed to having any kind of literary aspect to it. It does make me a little apprehensive, because it is something that has come from me — it’s like a child and I’m letting someone else take care of it.”

;MM .145 XIOM *

NATIONAL

Study reveals empathy for LGBT community, veils applicants MARI WILLIAMS

;\INN ?ZQ\MZ U_QTTQIU[ (]VI ML]

A new study done by economists at Ohio State University and Boston University has found the LGBT community is possibly underestimated and there may be a greater empathy among the nation for equal rights, no matter what someone’s sexual orientation may be.

The study indicated a 65 percent increase in self-reports of non-heterosexual identity when using a veiled (anonymous) method as opposed to a direct method of surveying, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research’s website.

The results of the report also show an occurrence of two social events.

“It is perceived as socially undesirable both to be open about being gay, and to be unaccepting of gay individuals,” the results read.

From prior experience and knowledge of LGBT issues,

when someone feels more secure that they will not be persecuted for their beliefs they will be more willing to express those beliefs, said Robert Koch, coadviser for SAFE (Student Alliance for Equality).

“We live in a culture in which people are afraid to be honest for fear of being disliked or for fear that they will be attacked for their beliefs,” he said. “You have an environment in the South predominately and the Great Plains where the LGBT community is still afraid to come out.”

The difference in the North and South is in whose voice is being heard, Koch said.

“The North is quite full of homophobic folks and the South has an equal number of quieter pro-LGBT folks,” he said.

Fear is still an issue, said Victoria Sparks, president of SAFE. “Fear is definitely not going to help with gaining equal rights, but those thoughts are understandable, in my opinion,” Sparks said. “I think that people

”

THE VEILED SURVEY SEEMS TO GIVE (LGBT MEMBERS) A VENUE TO REVEAL MORE ABOUT WHO THEY ARE WITHOUT THEM FEELING LIKE THEIR SECURITY HAS BEEN JEOPARDIZED.

ROBERT KOCH are afraid.

“We live in a society that constantly judges, and unfortunately there are many stigmas tied to equal rights advocacy.

These people are probably afraid of judgment and how it will affect their jobs, families, statuses and even safety.”

Both sides of the spectrum have concerns, Koch said.

“Nobody’s talking anymore,” Koch said. “We have a government that does not know how to talk. They talk at each other, but they do not compromise. So, you have this conflict between progressives and

;MM 4/*< XIOM *

photo illustration by JOSH BROOKOVER I Student Photographer

A study released by Ohio State University and Boston University indicates a 65 percent increase in self-reports of non-heterosexual identity when using a veiled method.

6B LIFE

Oct. 31, 2013 • The Flor-Ala

CULTURE

Cannibalism not religious, deemed ʻlearned behaviorʼ ANNA KATE TIPPETT ;\]LMV\ ?ZQ\MZ I\QXXM\\(]VI ML]

An incident of a cannibal vampire attack in Papua New Guinea occurred on Oct. 9, when Rex Eric allegedly bit his 3-year-old daughter to death and sucked her blood. The crime was first reported by a local paper in Papua New Guinea, and while the events have not been independently verified, similar incidents have been reported across the country.

Eric was arrested by the local police after two boys climbing a tree nearby saw what he was doing and ran for help, according to a story by the Post-Courier’s Franco Nebas. Local government official John Kenny told Ne-

bas Eric laughed at the boys and continued eating the girl’s flesh and sucking her blood.

The incident of cannibal vampirism has left some students wondering how someone could possibly do this to another person.

Student Kathryn Bragwell believes a mix of religion and insanity could be the cause behind such an attack.

“I think it’s a little of both,” Bragwell said.

“It was probably just because somebody got

into his head.”

Religion is not to blame, said student Savannah Watkins.

“I don’t know; I think he was just crazy,” Watkins said.

“There was something wrong mentally with him.”

The capacity for cruelty exists within mankind, but social institutions and constraints have stopped the more extreme forms of cruelty in most countries, said Larry Bates, associ-

ate professor of psychology. Bates said he believes those institutions and constraints are not established in places like Papua New Guinea.

Bates said there are several different theories on the reasons people commit cannibalistic acts.

“There are a lot of theories, some of them from what we call nurture theories, that it’s something in the environment that causes that,” Bates said. “And

while some of those seem somewhat valid, that they had bad parenting or they learned this behavior from somebody, it just almost doesn’t seem possible that it could come from relatively normal homes, (or) that somebody could come out that bizarre.

“We have got other theories that they have some deficiency in emotional learning. There’s something called the hypo-arousal or underarousal hypothesis that

Bloodsuckers

.145 KWV\QV]ML NZWU XIOM *

Luke Hunter, lead singer and guitar player of the local band Cheap Thrill DeVille, described the score and the film as two independent art forms influenced by the original source.

“It’s interesting, as my group will be playing and we have two scripts that we’re working with,” Hunter said. “I got two different scripts, and one of them I

4/*< KWV\QV]ML NZWU XIOM * traditionalists, and those who are traditionalists fear they are being persecuted and those who are progressives fear they are being persecuted.”

The veiled survey saw an incline in those who were in favor of equal rights for the LGBT community, as well as those who were not.

“They don’t have to deal with the prejudices and pressures of established religion or conservatism in the veiled survey,” Koch said. “In both cases people are afraid to be outed, and the veiled survey seems to give them a venue to reveal more about who they are without them feeling like their security has been jeopardized.

“I think it’s also good to those who are opposed to gender and sexual diversity to recognize it’s not this sudden change and that they no longer have a place in the world. Somebody who wishes to express their displeasure in the way the world is

get clear as day what the author was going for. I feel the same vibe, and I can go to that so easily and try to encapsulate what’s she doing.

“The other script, I’m having to try to reach to figure out what he’s doing and I want to be able to, and I am going to, create a beautiful piece to go with that.

But it’s more difficult and therefore I’m nervous of what he will think, trying to capture what he’s trying to do when I’m not entirely clear what that is.”

changing does not have to fear that their words are going to lead them to be persecuted by anybody who is pro-diversity or pro-progress.”

Anytime people are willing to talk and we can collect information that reveals how people are feeling, as well as what they are thinking, it is useful, Koch said.

“I think it it’s good for the LGBT community to know that it is a larger possibility than we may have thought,” he said.

Student Alexandra McKay said she would be more liberal when taking a veiled survey if asked about her stance on LGBT issues.

“Everybody has a different opinion and they don’t want to be judged on that opinion, whether it’s more liberal or on the conservative spectrum,” she said.

For more LGBT articles, check out florala.net

says that the brain is just not as aroused by normal stimuli like the rest of us, and because of that, they have to up the ante to get enjoyment.”

There is likely a learning element involved as well, Bates said.

“Here in America, we’ve had all the vampire movies out and somebody doing something that bizarre is probably more likely,” Bates said. “We get a lot more exorcism cases after the movie ‘The Exorcist’ comes out, for example.

Certainly, I think we can learn, ‘Oh, so that’s the context in which I need to express my psychopathology,’ but to truly be like that, where one would actually engage in biting their child, it just

;MM >)581:-; XIOM *

HALL

Oct. 31, 2013 • The Flor-Ala

HISTORY

”

WEEN

Ghost Bridge HARRISON NADEN I ONLY WENT ONCE. IT WAS

FUN. IʼM KIND OF SAD THAT OTHER

PEOPLE ARENʼT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT THERE AND GET SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF, LIKE I DID.

78)4 KWV\QV]ML NZWU XIOM * slamming the cabinets shut in the archives room, when there’s no one in the office.”

That’s when she told me about Opal.

Before The Flor-Ala office moved to our current location, we were located inside of an old house about a block from campus.

To sum it up quickly, the house was apparently haunted.

Papers would shuffle in empty storage rooms, kitchen cabinets would open without being prompted — the works.

One editor apparently became so curious regarding the cause of the “supernatural” happenings in the office that he brought in a ouija board to attempt to communicate with the ghost.

Although not much was gained from the experience, the spirit in question did apparently give a name: Opal.

Once named, the specter became a more prominent figure in the office.

More bizarre acts occurred, climaxing with the markers of a white board flying across a room in front of my adviser.

“Stop Opal,” was the term the entity apparently responded to the most readily, and it began to be understood that

+)6,A KWV\QV]ML NZWU XIOM * grinning ear to ear as we walked up to his front porch, and he almost always said the same thing, “Oh Lawdy, ain’t it been a hot’en this evening. Why don’t ya’ll young’ins get you some of this cold water to cool down with.”

The bucket sat on one side of the porch with an old ladle draped over the side. Everybody took turns. We all drank from the same ladle. People back then didn’t worry about germs.

After we all got a drink, we’d tell the old man, “Much obliged for the drink mister, thanky.”

Looking back on Halloween when I was a boy, I can easily recollect a memory that will scare me so bad that even now my heart will skip ten beats. But I

CHAMBLEE PRINCE

”

IT WAS REALLY PRETTY. I

LIKED THAT IT WAS OBVIOUSLY

OLDER. I DONʼT KNOW. I REALLY

LIKE HISTORICAL THINGS.

the ghost, or whatever it was, was not a harmful soul so much as a presence.

That was the old office, which was bulldozed away. It seemed that Opal went away with it, until my sighting.

Shortly after my first encounter, things began to happen in the office.

“We walked in to the office today and there was a cup rolling back and forth on the counter,” Blythe said. Apparently when they encountered this sight, our adviser resorted to the old incantation: “Stop Opal!” Of course the cup immediately stops moving, before slowly resuming it’s pace. She is a friendly, playful being afterall.

With that, the chase has begun.

We’ve got Opal fever in the office, and I’ve instructed our staff to leave me postit notes recording any encounter with our new friend.

If papers move, it’s Opal. If the fan cuts off randomly while people are working, it’s Opal.

If 20 poptarts disappear in two days, it’s Opal.

Actually, that’s James, our sports editor.

The point is, we’ve got a ghost, or psychosis. Or maybe we’ve just got an air conditioner.

choose, rather, to look back on Halloween, not so much as a time of frightful images but rather a time of warm thoughts and acts of kindness.

Like the little old lady who every year made the kids homemade peanut brittle and the old man who gave the kids only water because he was too poor to buy any candy. These are the types of things I like to remember best about Halloween; the things that bring on a warm smile.

Happy Halloween

”

HOLT HESTER ITʼS STILL HISTORICAL,

AND ITʼS SOMETHING A LOT OF

PEOPLE GOT TO DO. I WAS SAD

I

DIDNʼT GET TO SEE IT BEFORE IT WAS TORN DOWN.”

>)581:-; KWV\QV]ML NZWU XIOM * it just reeks of psychopathology to me and more of a genetic component than a learned component.”

America certainly has had its share of crazy killers. There is the case of Charles Manson, who founded a hippiecult group called “the family,” whom he manipulated into brutally murdering others for him. Then there is Jeffrey Dahmer, who raped, murdered and dismembered 17 men and boys — many of his murders

”

7B

PRESTON SALES

I WISH I HAD KNOWN (THEY TORE IT DOWN.) I WOULDʼVE GONE DOWN THERE MORE BEFORE THAT. IʼM HURT. IʼM HURT I DIDNʼT KNOW. involved necrophilia, cannibalism and the permanent preservation of body parts.

Bates cautions blaming this act of cannibal vampirism on religion.

“I think people need to be cautious about blaming it on religion, when in fact it may just be one kooky, crazy person out there that’s got a gathering,” Bates said. “It could be a religious ritual, but it equally could be just psychopathology. I think it was the kooky person more than the religion. I’m not saying that this person may not have used religious rhetoric — I’m just saying that it’s more unusual for actual faiths to embrace that.”

8B EXTRA

Tweets of the week

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