Sept. 15 2011

September 15, 2011

Volume 80 No. 4

www.FlorAla.net

Student newspaper of the University of North Alabama

Officials: UNA on track with D-I 2W[P ;SIOO[

6M_[ -LQ\WZ R[SIOO[(]VI ML]

@UNAFlorAla @FlorAlaSports

A LOOK INSIDE

See page 2 A UNA student was arrested last weekend on rape and sodomy charges.

The UNA board of trustees met on campus Monday for their quarterly meeting and discussed the possible move to Division I athletics, among other things.

UNA is on track, according to Mark Linder, director of athletics and Alan Medders, vice president of advancement.

“We feel very good about the communication strategy,” Linder said.

Linder and Medders told the trustees they are finalizing plans to start an advisory board for Division I athletics, which would be in charge

of raising the money for the move.

“The feedback is beginning to be very positive,” Medders said.

Each member of the advisory board would be responsible for raising $25,000, Linder said. “(The advisory board) is a step in the right direction,” he said.

According to Medders, the application fee to apply for Division I athletics has not been raised, but he said the university is well on its way to obtaining enough money to apply.

“The goal is not necessarily the app fee, the goal is the $500,000,” Medders said.

Linder and Medders have been traveling around the local area and

;MM *7):, XIOM

photo by Darrick Dawkins

Libby Watts-Jordan, Billy Don Anderson, Ralph Akalonu and Darlene Townsend at the quarterly trustees meeting Sept. 12 in the GUC Loft.

Taking campus to new levels

English department hosts author Sharlet for Writersʼ Series )VLa <PQOXMV

4QNM -LQ\WZ XI\PQOXMV(]VI ML]

prehensive five-year plan.

The five-year plan includes developing an institutional recycling program, initiating to the fullest the SGA endowed scholarship, ensuring better safety on Pine Street, establishing a daycare center and creating a multicultural student center on campus.

The SGA, including the University Program Council branch, has also launched the Ideas to Action campaign in hopes of providing more face time between SGA officers and students.

Will Riley, vice president of UPC, said his branch of SGA wants to have a larger presence and continue to encourage student involve-

The UNA Writers’ Series will be hosting its first event of the year Sept. 15 at 11 a.m. with author Jeff SharJeff Sharlet let speaking about his career, focusing on his new book “Sweet Heaven When I Die.” Sharlet, who gained national acclaim for his nonfiction work “The Family,” will be coming to UNA to read from his latest book and talk about the cultivation and importance of creativity and imagination.

“His work should appeal to anyone interested in writing,” said Pam Kingsbury, instructor of English and chair of the Writers’ Series committee. “(His work) is accessible, smart and very much tapped into the zeitgeist, while being entertaining. He has a sense of humor about his topics.”

His style has been called by the Washington Post as belonging “in the tradition of long-form, narrative nonfiction best exemplified by Joan Didion, John McPhee (and) Norman Mailer.”

Sharlet is a creative nonfiction writer who has been active in literary and pop-culture circles. He is Mellon assistant professor of English at Dartmouth, and has also taught at NYU in the Center for Religion and Media. He also acts as a contributing editor to both Rolling Stone and Harper’s magazines, along with contributing to the yearly music issue of the Oxford American.

Sharlet has spoken at colleges

;MM ;/) XIOM

;MM ;0):4-< XIOM

See page 11 UNA builds a garden honoring NPHC organiza on campus, and gives them a place to symbolize their groups.

See page 5 Homecoming week at UNA is full of events for students to show school spirit. photos by Barry Minor

SGA President Ralph Akalonu speaks to students at the State of the Association address Sept. 13.

SGA addresses students, campus issues 4]Ka *MZZa See page 8 A closer look at English professor Dr. Cynthia Burkhead.

See page 9 Kyle Thornton returns home to play this weekend. Check out his profile.

-`MK]\Q^M -LQ\WZ TJMZZa(]VI ML]

SGA President Ralph Akalonu spoke to approximately 75 attendees Tuesday at the first State of the Association address, inspiring students to take control of their own destiny for the future of UNA. Akalonu said the university is in a state of transition, and the actions that students make today will help to establish a stronger foundation for future UNA students.

He said this year’s SGA is ambitious, dedicated to excellence and committed to better serving the student body.

“If you are ready to take this campus to the next level, to be a

part of something monumental, are ready to be empowered, then let’s

Will Riley, vice president of UPC, speaks at the event.

come together and make this dream, this vision a reality,” Akalonu said.

This past summer, SGA came together for its first-ever joint retreat between the various branches of the association, according to Akalonu. Members established their vision for UNA with a com-

Page

News

2

Thursday, September 15, 2011 • The Flor-Ala

Sexual assault Kappa Sigma house undergoes renovations charges filed ;QWJPIV /MPZ[ against student ;\INN ?ZQ\MZ [OMPZ[(]VI ML]

4]Ka *MZZa

The brothers of Kappa Sigma have paid off their house and initiated a $10,000 renovation project.

The house was built in 1984 by nationA UNA student was als and is under its first round of renovareleased from jail on a tions. $15,000 bond Tuesday “This renovation has been in the plans after being charged with for 2-3 years,” said Kappa Sigma brother first-degree rape and Bishop Alexander. sodomy, according to Griffin The money raised came from alumni authorities. and outside resources.Vice President AnAssistant Chief Deputy Anthony Pace thony Hester has headed up the project with the Colbert County Sheriff’s Departand contributed to the progress. ment said Corey Langley Griffin, 20, was “This is just the patch-up work,” he arrested Sept. 11 after the victim, a 20-yearsaid. old UNA student, reported the incident to Work began in August, starting with police. the back deck. Further improvements inMuscle Shoals Police said Griffin, who clude new windows, doors, floors, ceilings plays tennis for UNA, was allegedly intoxiand alarms to ensure security. cated when he called the victim for a ride Last year, composites were stolen from home, forced her to perform oral sex and the house and have yet to be returned. The raped her in the passenger seat of her car. new security will hopefully cut down on Mark Linder, director of athletics, said potential theft, officials said.

Griffin has been suspended from the univerSecond Vice President Jacob Crowell sity. Griffin’s first court date will be Oct. 1, said now was the time to make the house officials said. new again. He said that for more than 27 “It is the policy of the (UNA) athletic years, the house has shown the wear and department that any student athlete charged tear of 40-50 brothers a semester coming with a felony is immediately and indefinitein and out of the building. ly suspended, pending adjudication through “Everyone’s doing their part, and the legal process,” Linder said. we’re excited for our future,” said Kappa Colbert County Sheriff Ronnie May said Sigma member Kelly Hester. a local judge placed a cash equivalent on One new addition to the house will be Griffin’s original $100,000 bond, allowing a study room on the top floor. Members of him to pay $15,000 instead.

Kappa Sigma have talked to other fraternities to compare ideas on how to model the Grad student allegedly new room. Currently, the house has a simple study room, but the brothers said they -`MK]\Q^M -LQ\WZ TJMZZa(]VI ML]

assaults bookstore owner 4]Ka *MZZa

-`MK]\Q^M -LQ\WZ TJMZZa(]VI ML]

A UNA student was arrested Sept. 6 after allegedly striking an OffCampus Bookstore employee in the face during Fraser a dispute about the value of a textbook, according to UNA Police.

UNA police Chief Bob Pastula said Eric Harris Fraser, 51, is charged with third-degree assault and disorderly conduct after becoming confrontational about the dollar amount offered to return his college textbook.

Hayley Mitchell, a recent UNA graduate and bookstore employee, was working the day of the altercation between the suspect and her manager. When her manager offered to buy Fraser’s $74 textbook back for $60, an argument broke out between the two, according to Mitchell.

“It was a scary situation because you don’t think about customers getting that irate over $14,” Mitchell said. “You might get students who throw their book on the ground or swat their hand on the counter, but never anything on that level.”

After being asked to leave by officials at the Off-Campus Bookstore, Fraser struck the store manager who was helping him on the left side of his face, said officials. According to the police report, witnesses said Fraser jumped into his vehicle, squealed the tires and drove his car toward the victim after the altercation.

Pastula said Fraser turned himself in to UNA Police later that day and was transferred to the Lauderdale County Detention Center. He was released from jail on a $2,000 bond the same day.

want to add a library. Alexander said that the present study room has significantly increased the chapter’s overall GPA. Alexander said the renovations will benefit everyone who comes to the house.

“The new renovations are coming at a good time with the expansion of the university moving to Division I,” he said.

“The whole Greek community is getting ready for the move.”

The fraternity will be hosting a noteburning ceremony Sept. 23 at 5 p.m. The event will recognize that the house officially belongs to UNA’s chapter of Kappa Sigma.

The guest list is said to include President William Cale, Vice President of Advancement Alan Medders, Vice President of Student Affairs David Shields and Board of Trustees President Steve Pierce, along with the undergraduates of Kappa Sigma.

Alexander said he plans to work with Kappa Sigma’s executive board and 2011 Sweetheart Jordan Brasher to host an event for campus student leaders and the public Sept. 23 from 6-8 p.m. This event will give individuals the opportunity to see the renovations and meet the brothers of Kappa Sigma.

“I’m anxious to see how it’ll turn out,” said Kappa Sigma Secretary J.T. Adams.

“The house at its current state is our only disadvantage during rush. The house renovations will appeal to new rushees.”

Within the next few years, Kappa Sigma hopes to receive $150,000 from donations to continue renovations.

Future plans are said to include adding a new social room located on the outside of the house.

“The extra building will hold casual

photo by Kayla Sloan

The Kappa Sigma house undergoes renovations, including a new deck on the back of the house. Members of the fraternity have worked to improve their house before homecoming.

events while the actual house will be for formal events,” Crowell said.

The new room is said to help preserve the renovations that are now taking place.

Along with the new building, the money is said to help remodel the three upstairs bathrooms and to help fix the basement.

Kappa Sigma pledge Gray Baxter said he’s excited to see the improvements.

“It shows they’re building for the future,” he said.

Organization hosts Chinese festival

photo by Josh Skaggs

Joy Mallard, Nan Wang and Jinzi Bai enjoy games the Chinese Moon Festival sponsored by the Chinese Student Organization Sept. 12 in the GUC.

*ZIVLWV )VLMZ[WV

;\INN ?ZQ\MZ [IVLMZ[WV (]VI ML]

Close to 500 people gathered in the GUC Monday to celebrate the Chinese Moon Festival hosted by the Chinese Student Organization.

This is the second year the CSO has hosted the event by setting up a booth to display many features of Chinese culture and to welcome all students and faculty to celebrate with them.

“This is our second celebration here at

the GUC and is open to everyone,” said Lin Zhang, instructor of Chinese.

The booth was set up with a variety of Chinese trinkets, games, foods and more.

Many who passed by were able to play mahjong or pick-up-nuts, try sesame chicken, moon cakes or green tea, buy souvenirs and have their names written in Chinese calligraphy.

“When you gain this kind of experience, you widen your views,” Zhang said.

The Moon Festival occurs on different days on the Chinese calendar when the

moon is going to be full, according to CSO member Yu Fu. The day is one of the more celebrated times in Chinese culture.

“The Moon Festival is the second most important festival of the year,” said Yaoling Mei, former CSO president. “The first is the Chinese New Year.”

Some compare the festival to American holidays.

“In America, (Americans) have Thanksgiving,” Zhang said. “(The Moon Festival) is like that.”

The festival attracted much attention from students and faculty members who passed by.

“It’s interesting how diverse the university is and how well we can get into their culture one way or another,” said UNA student Emily Ervin.

The booth even caught the attention of Board of Trustee member Billy Don Anderson, who stopped by to see what they had to offer and picked up a few souvenirs for his grandchildren.

It is the hope of the CSO to allow UNA students to learn a bit of Chinese culture.

Some students, Zhang suggested, may come from countries that have festivals similar to this.

“In some Asian countries, they celebrate the same festival,” Zhang said.

The CSO’s main goal was to create a friendly atmosphere for students far from home to allow them a chance to celebrate in fellowship.

“Though (students) are far away from their families, they can feel like family with their friends,” Zhang said. “The friendship between the Chinese and the Americans and the students from other countries will contribute to their families.”

Thursday, September 15, 2011 â&#x20AC;˘ The Flor-Ala

Page

3

Thursday, September 15, 2011 • The Flor-Ala

Viewpoints

Student newspaper of the University of North Alabama LUCY BERRY EXECUTIVE EDITOR JOSH SKAGGS NEWS/MANAGING EDITOR ANDY THIGPEN LIFE EDITOR TOMMY BOLTON SPORTS EDITOR ALEX LINDLEY COPY/OPINION EDITOR JORDAN BRADLEY ONLINE EDITOR DEVIN KENNAMER AD MANAGER SAVANNAH COMER GRAPHIC ARTIST EVAN KING CIRCULATION MGR MALISA McCLURE CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER KAYLA SLOAN BARRY MINOR DARRICK DAWKINS STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS REBECCA WALKER ADVISER EDITORIAL BOARD: LUCY BERRY ALEX LINDLEY

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 writer’s name, mailing address, phone number and e-mail.

• 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.

• Priority is given to letters critical of The Flor-Ala, or written in direct response to an editorial, a column, or a news story.

• When the editors deem it necessary for ease of understanding or to clarify facts, an Editor’s Note may accompany a letter.

• Address correspondence to The Flor-Ala. UNA Box 5300, Florence, AL 35632.

E-mail: florala@una.edu.

Letters may also be submitted through our website at florala.net.

Copyright © 2011 The Flor-Ala All rights reserved.

First copy free.

Additional copies $1 each.

Page

4

PAWS UP, PAWS DOWN Calling it like we see it at UNA, in the Shoals, across the state and around the world

Music freaks, lend me your ears

While I’m majoring in English exposing this area to new music and professional writing, the first that doesn’t get air play. It would thing you need to understand be an influx of culture that would about me is that I love music. be widely broadcast and readily By “love music,” I mean available. that, without it, I would be It would also be debilitated. an opportunity to To me, music is life and expose local music energy. I stand firmly behind the on a new level. great Hunter Thompson when You may actually he said, “On some nights I still hear some, or all, of believe that a car with the gas those albums needle on empty can run about )VLa <PQOXMV sitting on that 4QNM -LQ\WZ 50 more miles if you have the XI\PQOXMV(]VI ML] little table in right music very loud on the Rivertown. radio.”

You hear the songs, you like I could go on, but let’s not the music, you go to the shows. write volumes here.

Those bands make money and UNA needs a college radio tour. Other bands hear and start station. making their way to the Shoals.

There I said it. And, yes— More money is made and more I’m talking about one of those bands come. See where I’m stereotypical stations that play going with this? Musical growth. “those bands you’ve probably Revitalization. never heard of.” That’s exactAnd talk about educational ly the point. It would be about opportunities. Communications

students could have hands-on opportunities with running and cultivating a radio station. Each new class could add new techniques and ideas as they saw fit. Students with entertainment industry, marketing and Integrated mommunications majors would have a new outlet for real-world experience.

I know that we used to have ROAR Radio, but its reach and content was limited. To be honest, I never heard of it. I think a college radio station is an idea worth revisiting.

The Shoals was once called the “Hit Recording Capitol of the World.” We may have fallen from glory in many ways, but, in an area rich with musical history, and still dripping with talent, we owe it to our legacy, our musicians and ourselves to continue cultivating music from the inside and out.

Gay marriage is issue of rights, not morals Comedian Lewis Black once said that on the list of things our nation should be worried about, gay marriage is on page six after ‘are we eating too much garlic as a people?’

The Flor-Ala editorial board’s opinion aligns with Black’s on the issue of gay marriage. We have more important things to be worried about.

In the U.S. alone, not to mention all international problems, we have unemployment, inaccessible healthcare, two expensive wars and poverty. Yet, one of the biggest issues being discussed is whether or not homosexuals can get married.

There’s something twisted about that.

But we acknowledge that issues exist because people care about them. If the U.S. cares so much about gay marriage, then it should be discussed—logically.

One of the most popular arguments against gay marriage is that

marriage is only between a man and a woman. Religiously, yes.

Legally, we think not.

A marriage is a union of two people. If the legal definition provides only for the wedding of a man and a woman, then the vocabulary of that document is an artifact of times when gay marriage could not be discussed.

Another wildly popular argument about the legality of gay marriage is that it is simply not right. The Flor-Ala editorial board believes that morality and legality are two distinct issues. The morality of gay marriage has almost nothing to do with legality.

What needs to be discussed is the fact that homosexual men and women have the legal right to be married, regardless of individual opinions on the morality of such marriages.

We must keep church and state separate on the issue of marriage. What started out as a religious institution has become

a state institution as well, and any church that does not want to allow homosexuals to be married in their doctrines is free to do so.

But our founding documents provide for equal rights for all, and our government has a responsibility to uphold that.

We are a nation that believes in the rights of individuals.

Homosexuals have the legal right to marry, just like everyone else in the U.S. The issue of gay marriage is damaging nothing but our ability as a nation to say that we support equality for all of our citizens.

The Flor-Ala editorial board is completely in agreement with the lawmakers who recently legalized gay marriage in New York. The road to nationwide legalized gay marriage will most probably be long and arduous, but we are optimistic that it will happen.

The opinions expressed are the collective ideas of The FlorAla editorial board.

Letter to the Editor: Where’s the humor?

There was a time when I would pick up my copy of The Flor-Ala every Thursday morning. It was something I would look forward to. The articles were informative, there was variety and it was a humorous paper. The Flor-Ala is definitely still informative, but the humor seems to be gone. I know that with new staff comes change. That only makes sense, but the paper doesn’t seem to be

a college paper anymore. Sure, there are plenty of articles about UNA, but the wit is gone.

What happened to the back page? Every issue you could see students flipping over their papers to see the Facebook Wins of the Week or the variety of comic strips, but now not only is the back page just a pile of ads, the comics, Facebook Wins, Sudoku, etc. are all simply gone.

Perhaps I’m being a little harsh. The quality of writing is still there. The dedication to UNA is still there. These latest issues, though, have simply not excited me to pick up my issue every Thursday morning. I simply hope that The Flor-Ala will return to being a college newspaper instead of just a newspaper about college.

By UNA student Luke Hunter

The End, a small theater located on Pine Street, does well in bringing the local community together through offbeat events that stray from the ordinary, yet have widespread appeal.

Health officials say this fall could be a particularly difficult season for allergy sufferers, with record-high pollen amounts in August.

Experts say the allergy season will also last a few weeks longer due to excess rain and standing water.

The U.S. now faces the possibility of another recession, but Obama’s $447 billion jobs plan could help new college graduates land more jobs with small businesses and in fields such as teaching if it is successful.

Waterloo businessman Bob Spears began circulating petitions for a wet-dry referendum last August to give Lauderdale County the chance to vote on whether or not to legalize alcohol sales. All residents of the county except for Florence and St. Florian residents would be able to vote.

Alabama residents organized an auction last Friday to benefit Alabamians who were affected by last year’s tornados. Funds generated will go towards purchasing material items for tornado victims.

A member of the UNA board of trustees showed up late around 10:50 a.m. Monday morning for the quarterly trustees meeting, when it actually started at 9:30 a.m.

Congratulations to Ann Harkey for writing last week’s story of the week!

Thursday, September 15, 2011 • The Flor-Ala

Life

Page

5

Homecoming week packed full of events for students Homecoming Week Thursday, Sept. 15 Foamapalooza 8-10 p.m.

Communications Parking Lot

Monday, Sept. 19 Recycled Percussion 8 p.m.

Norton Auditorium

Tuesday, Sept. 20 Window Painting Competition GUC

Friday, Sept. 23 Pep Rally 9 p.m.

Athletic Field

Saturday, Sept. 25 file photos by Ashton Lance

Members of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority march in the 2010 Homecoming Parade. This year’s parade will take place Sept. 24 at 11 a.m. before the football game.

;aLVMa <PZMM\

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

Homecoming is one of the biggest events UNA hosts, and this year‘s celebration will be no exception. The theme for the week is, “Expanding the Legacy,” and the SGA University Program Council and the Office of Alumni Relations have been working hard to prepare the events Sept. 19-24.

The main event of homecoming is the football game, which will take place at Braly Stadium 6 p.m. Saturday. Saturday’s events also include the homecoming parade, which begins at 11 a.m.

Before the game on Saturday, there will be tailgating parties on Spirit Hill beginning at 4 p.m. The SGA will be giving away free Domino’s pizza, along with other giveaways.

UPC will kick off homecoming week by hosting “Foamapalooza,” a pre-homecoming foam party, Thursday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. in the Communications Building parking lot. The party will feature an inflatable pit that sprays non-toxic, anti-bacterial foam on those standing inside There will be a DJ, and the first 300 students will receive a glow necklace and bracelet.

Tailgating 4 p.m.

Spirit Hill Homecoming Game 6 p.m.

Braly Stadium

David Johnson, spirit chair of SGA- Percussion, a former “America’s Got TalUPC, gave some general guidelines for the ent” contestant, Monday at Norton Auditorium. The doors will event. open at 7 p.m., and the “Make sure you wear concert will begin at 8 something you would p.m. wear to a water park, “It’s a giant show like a swimsuit unwhere they use buckder your T-shirts and ets, garbage cans, pans shorts, or something and other items as perlike that,” he said. cussion items, but they Johnson also said don’t use ‘real’ instruthat there will be ments,” Johnson said. showers set up to rinse The window paintoff after the event. ing competition will The homecoming take place on Tuesday, court nominations will and organizations that be first announced registered for the comat Foamapalooza, so petition can paint their Johnson recommends assigned window from students be there to 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Winhear the announceners of the window ment. painting competition “We won’t be announcing it on Twitter Ralph Akalonu and Cierra Smith stand will be announced Friday at the homecomor Facebook, so if you before being crowned 2010’s Homeing pep rally. want to be the first to coming King and Queen.

The pep rally will know, make sure you begin Friday at 9 p.m. at the Athletic Field attend,” Johnson said.

The first event during the week of home- beside Flowers Hall. All registered organicoming will be a performance by Recycled zations must be present at 8 p.m.

At 6 p.m. Friday, all students are invited to be part of a panoramic picture of students and the Pride of Dixie Marching Band spelling out “UNA.” Students wishing to participate must wear white to be in the picture. The band will outline the letters in purple, and the students will fill in the letters in white.

There will be many events for alumni during homecoming, including the Jack Karnes Memorial Golf Tournament on Friday, the Alumni Awards Banquet on Friday, Reunions on Saturday and Tailgating parties on Saturday. For registration information for alumni events, contact Carol Lyles in the Alumni Office.

A noticeably absent event from the homecoming schedule is Step Show. Step Show will be held during Purple Reign week in November this year.

Johnson said that there has been nothing but positive feedback from organizations about moving Step Show.

“Everyone gets so worn out during homecoming week, so moving Step Show back has allowed the organizations to have more time to prepare and more time to enjoy the other events of homecoming week,” he said.

Leo Awards, Six-Hour Mix to showcase student, local productions ;PMTJa *WUIV

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

This year, UNA Film and Digital Media Productions will be hosting the annual SixHour Mix as well as the Leo Awards. Due to the devastating tornadoes last April, the Leo Awards were delayed until Sept. 17, and rescheduled to be conjoined with the Six-Hour Mix, which takes place from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. at The End theater.

The Six-Hour Mix was originally held every semester, but will now be taking place at the beginning of each school year.

The Six-Hour Mix allows students from the department, as well as from the community, to present their artistic works, such as

short films, photography, paintings, music and more.

This noncompetitive event permits the public to view what the students have prepared.

“Last year was the first time I had my work entered into the Six-Hour Mix,” said Hunter Marks, a Film and Digital Media Production student. “It was great having an audience see my stuff. In a media related career you get to express creativity as well as entertain people—two things I love to do.”

The purpose of the Six-Hour Mix is not only to entertain, but also to give local artists the opportunity to showcase their skills in a venue where they can connect with

other artists.

The videos that will be shown were produced by UNA students. They have captured highlights of the previous semester.

Other artistic demonstrations will signify relevant cultural and collective topics.

The Leo Awards, distinct from the SixHour Mix, is a screening of music videos produced by independent student teams.

The students taking part in the Leo Awards are not required to be Film and Digital Media Production majors. It is open to anyone on campus.

“We are aiming for a campus collaboration, in which students get to show their talent,” said Jason Flynn, assistant professor of Film and Digital Media Productions.

“For the future, we would like to include other skillful work rather than just music videos at the Leo Awards. It is a great way for students to meet other artists while exposing their talent.”

Students will be judged by the Registered Student Organization be awarded trophies for best group production, team production, actor, actress, most original and people’s choice.

The department encourages all students to come out and support their fellow students and community members. Prizes will be given out to attendees during the event, as well as giveaways.

Page

6

Images

Tucked away

By Malisa McClure, Chief Photographer - msmcclure@una.edu

I remember standing on the ferry, the wind whipping my hair and the sun kissing my cheeks, as we rounded the bend toward Cumberland Island.

The day was Aug. 14 and my friend Aaron and I had been awaiting the trip all summer.

As the ferry approached, the first I saw of the island was the driftwood scattered along the beach. It was then that I knew we had picked the perfect place for a vacation.

We arrived on shore and, after a short orientation, began lugging our camping gear to our assigned spot. We would be camping for four nights, and we couldn’t have been more excited.

We spent most of our time hiking and exploring. We hiked to Dungeness, the ruins of a Carnegie family mansion, multiple times.

I took many photos of the wild horses we saw grazing there. We also hiked the beaches and the salt marshes.

One of our favorite spots was what we called “crab island.” It was a stretch of beach right by the boat docks where crabs and barnacles were the main inhabitants. There we watched crabs fight each other over holes in the sand.

Another favorite spot was Sea Camp beach. This beach is located right outside our campgrounds, and I was there every morning at sunrise.

I saw deer grazing atop the sand dunes, and I even saw a shark two out of four mornings. We also came to the beach at night, to sit under the moon and watch the waves.

When it came time to leave, it was bittersweet. I was sick of being dirty, yet I wanted to stay forever! Being tucked away on a nearly deserted island for a few days was a nice break from reality.

I will certainly be going back one day, and I would recommend this place to anyone who can handle a few days of camping.

Thursday, September 15, 2011 • The Flor-Ala

Thursday, September 15, 2011 • The Flor-Ala

Feature

Page

7

;/) KWV\QV]ML NZWU XIOM

photo by Barry Minor

SGA President Ralph Akalonu speaks to students about SGA’s plans for the next five years and inspires attendees to get involved in the campus community to build a foundation for future UNA students.

;0):4-< KWV\QV ]ML NZWU XIOM across the U.S., including Yale, Princeton, Columbia and the Univeristy of Virginia, among others.

He has also appeared as a guest on shows such as MSNBC’s “Rachel Maddow Show,” NPR’s “Fresh Air,” HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” and Comedy Central’s “Daily Show with John Stewart.”

Kingsbury hopes that, by hosting a writer like Sharlet, students

ment at events this year.

“We want to be more noticeable on campus, and definitely have a bigger presence with our events,” he said. “Everything we do, we try to do it with excellency so we are not wasting or throwing away money.”

Vice President of Senate Emily McCann spoke to students about the legislative branch of SGA and discussed the new student referendum to vote on how to spend the money intended for the purchase of the golf and country club property, which fell through this summer.

Mark Linder, director of athletics, also gave a presentation about the transition to Division I. He said UNA students contribute approximately $22,000 to the local economy each year. If the D-I move is successful, Linder anticipates an 11 percent growth in students at UNA, bringing in another $17 million to the area.

He said UNA has given around 120 D-I presentations to the community since the June 13 board of trustees meeting and said the reaction from area residents has been mostly positive.

“Our goal is to have $500,000 raised by Dec. 1 and have the same amount pledged over the next five years,” he said. “In order to keep the student fee down and academic spending down, we’re going to have to go out and raise the money. We’re trying to find 500 individuals willing to buy into the dream of growth for this community that are also willing to give $1,000 a year.”

Students and members of the community had the opportunity to ask questions of SGA officials and Linder at the end of the State of the Association address.

SGA also offered free prizes to students and organizations in attendance.

will take away a new perspective on writing.

“What we hope students will take away is that writer’s aren’t remote individuals,” Kingsbury said.

“I want them to see that writers are alive and moving amongst us, and that writing is alive and well. Students need to know that they can go out and find writing events in the Deep South if they want to.”

This is the 28th year for the Writer’s Series at UNA. “(The Writers’ Series) was found-

ed with the intention of encouraging students and exposing them to a broader worldview,” Kingsbury said. “It’s important for writers who are published to have a connection with students who are dreaming of doing it.”

The event will include a reading by Sharlet from “Sweet Heaven When I Die,” followed by a lecture on creativity in writing. He will then take questions from the audience and have a book signing once the event is over. The event is free to the public.

photo by Darrick Dawkins

Board members Steve Pierce and Rodney Howard.

*7):, KWV\QV]ML NZWU XIOM members of the public to clear up misconceptions about the Division I move.

Medders told the board they have visited with 120 different groups and talked to more than 1,700 people about the move.

Cale also updated the board on the new science building, which is still in the planning stage of construction. The building will cost more than anticipated, Cale said.

UNA hired Construction Project Consulting to review the plans for the new science building and look at what the new building will potentially cost the university. Cale told the trustees the firm was hired to be give a second opinion about the plans for the new building.

Also, the trustees unani-

mously approved a resolution for the proposed UNA 20112012 fiscal year budgets.

The board also approved a resolution naming the new black box theater currently under construction on UNA’s campus as George Lindsey Theater. In addition to naming the theater after Lindsey, the board named the performance hall within the theater after Ernest Borgnine, a long time supporter of UNA. The board also named the athletics facilities area of campus after Bill Jones, former athletics director at UNA. The athletics area, which consists of Flowers Hall, Self Field House, the soccer field, football practice field and Mike Lane Field, will now be know as Bill Jones Athletics Facility.

Page

8

Profile

Thursday, September 15, 2011 • The Flor-Ala

Professor Profile: Dr. Cynthia Burkhead <QNNIVa +WNNMa

med major but soon realized that English ‘Firefly.’” Burkhead said. “They are was a better fit. all very different, but each provides “I finally accepted that my lack of math a lot of material for students to use English Majors at UNA are bound to skills and poor preparation for science was in writing assignments.” making me miseraBurkhead is meet Dr. Cynthia Burkhead. ble, while what really very involved She is an English instructor and spemade me happy was at UNA. She is cializes in composition and 20th century reading and writing, co-chair of the American Literature.

George Lindsey After high school, she enlisted in the and I was pretty good at it,” Burkhead said.

Film Festival military and later spent many years workShe received her and faculty ading as a retail loss prevention specialist. master’s from Southvisor for Habitat However, she spent her lunch or dinner ern Illinois Universifor Humanity. hours reading Shakespeare. ty-Edwardsville and During the past She had always wanted to go back to photo by Kayla Sloan her Ph.D from MidBurkhead lines her office with figurines eight years, they school, but outside forces were often in her dle Tennessee State have sponsored and trinkets. Everything from Jesus to way.

V from “V for Vendetta” can be found University. two habitats, “When my twins were four and I was on her shelves.

After her husband including the newly single, it seemed like the perfect Shoals’ first sotime to go after my dreams and also model took a job at Redstone for them a life spent pursuing education,” Arsenal, Burkhead found her way into the lar habitat.

UNA English Department. Her favorite part She is also a member of the Burkhead said. of the day is being in class.

Whedon Studies Association.The When she began college, she was a pre“Teaching is amazing because in WSA focuses their studies on many the midst of all the stress of life, go- different television shows including ing into class is just about the stu- “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Andents and helping them grow intel- gel,” “Firefly,” “Dollhouse” and lectually,” she said. many more created by Joss Whedon. photo by Shannon Wells While in class, she focuses on She co-edited “Joss Whedon: ConDr. Cynthia Burkhead is a professor of English. She what the students show they need versations” with David Lavery; it is also co-hosts the annual George Lindsey Film Fesmost help with. When teaching, she filled with interviews that together tival and is involved with Habitat for Humanity. tries to be fun to relate the subject to provide a complete picture of Joss her students.

Whedon.

During her spare time, Burkhead enjoys “A few of the television shows I “One of the best interviews, in my opinwatching television and making jewelry, have used either for textual analysis ion, was a long discussion of his feminism, mostly from vintage religious jewelry and photo by Kayla Sloan assignments or reviews are ‘Buffy for which he has been honored by many rosaries, to sell at First Fridays. She is marBurkhead in her natural habitat of assorted acthe Vampire Slayer,’ ‘Lost,’ and women’s groups,” Burkhead said. tion figures, books, coffee and Han Solo. ried and has three sons and one daughter. ;\]LMV\ ?ZQ\MZ \KWNNMa(]VI ML]

Sports

Thursday, September 15, 2011 • The Flor-Ala

Page

9

Thornton returns home to play for friends, family 7ZZMa *WT\WV

BIO FACTS

;\INN ?ZQ\MZ WJWT\WV(]VI ML]

Lions All-American offensive tackle Kyle Thornton will return home this Saturday as UNA faces no. 3 Abilene Christian in Dallas.

UNA has been one of the top offensive teams in the country this season, with an average of 149 yards rushing and 280 yards passing per game due in most part to Thornton and the Lions’ offensive line, which will be put to the test in the Lonestar Football Festival at Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

“All of the guys are excited to be facing a great opponent in Abilene Christian on a stage as big as a NFL stadium,” Thornton said. “I think a win would be huge for us, and it will make a big statement to the rest of the country about what kind of team we are working to build this season.”

Thornton is a Dallas native and will be making a return trip for the first time since high school.

The opportunity to play in front of his family and friends is another reason for Thornton and the Lions to add another win.

“I’m really excited about going home for a game this week,”Thornton said. “I haven’t had a football game in Dallas since high school, so it’s going to be a fun week for me.”

Thornton was raised in a football family with his dad, Bruce Thornton, and his brother, Kalen, who both played in the NFL. “I actually wasn’t allowed to play football until I got into the eighth grade because

Hometown: Dallas, TX Career Stats: 17 starts Pre-season All-American Degree: Associate in Culinary Arts.

Hobbies: Cooking, playing guitar and video games (Call of Duty) it was mom’s rule,” Thornton said. “Most of my time in sports was in basketball and soccer until I was old enough to switch to a helmet.”

The Cowboys were the family team, with his brother having played there and with his dad having played in the NFL for four years.

Being around football for most of his life, Thornton knew he would be the next one of the family to play the sport as well.

“I grew up going to Dallas Cowboys games with my dad and all of his old teammates,” Thornton said. “So I guess I was born and bred to play football.”

Thornton has had some big game experience with his time at the University of Texas playing under Mack Brown.

He played 12 games for the Longhorns and was a main contributor in a Rose Bowl victory against the Michigan Wolverines.

After playing at Texas, Thornton attend-

photo by Barry Minor

UNA senior offensive lineman Kyle Thornton prepares to make a block during last week’s game against Glenville State. Thornton will return home this weekend to play Abilene Christian in Dallas.

ed Texas Culinary Academy in Austin and received an associate’s degree in Culinary Arts.

After three years of no football, Thornton decided to give football another try after his brother Kenton decided to transfer from the University of North Carolina.

Thornton committed to UNA in the spring of 2009.

“I hadn’t played football for three years when coach (Terry) Bowden called me to see if I was interested in playing again,” Thornton said. “I didn’t even consider go-

ing anywhere else, so I committed to UNA without even taking a visit.”

Returning home this Saturday against Abilene Christian will be special for Thornton, with a lot of family and friends planning to watch him play in Dallas for the first time since high school.

“I think just about all of my family will be there, plus some of my friends, so I’m having to round up about 20 tickets for everyone that is wanting to go,” Thornton said. “Yes, it will be pretty cool to get a win in front of my family and friends that rarely

Intramurals ready to kick off this fall for students ;QWJPIV /MPZ[

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

The fall intramural season starts this month as 12 new sports are added to the line up.

Intramurals that are offered at UNA are a good way to compete against other students to find who is the best, and also can help students get some exercise.

“We’re still trying to make the program of quality and good health,” said Intramural Sports Coordinator Dexter Shorter. “Students can expect a lot more opportunities to participate.”

With the reopening of Flowers Hall pool for recreational use, there will be an intramural swim meet. Each four-person team will compete in a five-event race. The results will be determined by a point system.

Another sport in the fall is Harris Lendor basketball. The sport is named after the

2004 intramural sports coordinator who passed away.

The competition is geared to keep his legacy alive at UNA. Two of the team sports returning this fall will be volleyball and flag football. The games will each last four weeks, and the teams will compete for the championship.

Both these sports require a $30 team fee.

Shorter said he is working with Florence Parks and Recreation to create space for an intramural softball team for either the fall or spring.

Team sports are said to be played Monday-Thursday from 5-10 p.m.

“I’m going to attempt my best to schedule to the teams’ availabilities,” Shorter said.

Compared to last year, he said the game officials are going to stress the importance of sportsmanship.

“I’m preparing my officials as effectively as I can,” he said.

The officials, who will be calling the games,

Player of the week Chloe Roberts Hometown: Plymouth, England.

Major: Health and Physical Ed. Position: Forward.

Stats: 2 goals and an assist. Her second goal made her the leading career goal scorer in UNA history

are UNA students who are employed by the Student Recreation Center.

Game Official Gary Carney said that they have had three training sessions to prepare for volleyball and will have live training before the season starts.

Carney said the most difficult part of refereeing is handling different game situations.

“You have to know every detail of the sport,” he said. “You have to know the games like the back of your hand.”

One detail in co-recreational sports that officials look for is the ratio of male to female players on the field at a time.

In flag football there has to be four of both genders from each team. In volleyball there has to be three of each.

A second detail is how often women have possession of the ball compared to the men. Carney said that Shorter does a good job keeping the game fair for all players.

Shorter said his officials are well-trained

and are there to keep games safe and wellmanaged.

If games or players were to get out of hand, Carney said he would handle the situation like a business.

“You just have to stay as calm as you can and find out the problem,” he said.

Shorter said intramurals are created for the students, and if they have suggestions he has an open-door policy.

“Intramurals contribute to a healthy social life, fitness and promote team building,” he said.

Carney said intramurals are a great way to get out of the classroom and keep up an interest in sports.

All sports are offered to any student, and registration is currently open. To register for a sport, go to http://www.una.edu/ recsports and look under event registration to click the sign up link. For more information, contact Shorter at mshorter@una.edu.

Week at a glance Volleyball When: Friday - Noon, 6 p.m. m..

Saturday - 10 a.m., Noon n Where: Savannah, GA Who: Armstrong Atlantic Pirate Classic

Soccer

Football

When: Sunday- 10 a.m

When: Saturday - 4 p.m..

Where: Carollton, GA

Where: Arlington, n, Texas

Who: Florida Southern

Who: Abilene Christian hristian

Page

Sports

10

Thursday, September 15, 2011 • The Flor-Ala

Lions prepare for big showdown in Texas <WUUa *WT\WV

Recap

;XWZ\[ -LQ\WZ \JWT\WV(]VI ML]

The UNA football team looks for a better all-around performance as the team will prepare for a top-five matchup this Saturday.

The No. 5 Lions will play against No. 3 Abilene Christian in the Lone Star Football Festival this Saturday in one of the largest stadiums on the planet, Cowboys Stadium, as two of the top programs in Division II square off.

“I am looking forward to it for the players; it will be good for them to experience something like this in their life,” said head coach Terry Bowden. “As a coach, I’m really nervous because we are playing a really good football team.”

Abilene Christian is off to a 1-0 start this year and finished last season with an 11-0 record before they were eliminated in the second round in the NCAA tournament.

ACU is led offensively by junior quarterback Mitchell Gale and defensively by senior defensive end Aston Whiteside.

Gale is the reigning Lone-Star Conference offensive player of the year and was one of nine national finalists for the Harlon Hill Award in 2010.

Gale finished last season with 3,595 yards passing and a school record 38 touchdown passes. In the first game he finished with 335 yards and three touchdowns.

Whiteside on defense is the reigning two-time LSC defensive player of the year and is also a first team all-region performer.

•

•

•

The Lions get off to a 2-0 start with their 4821 rout of Glenville State.

Quarterback Lee Chapple has a bounce-back game, throwing for 395 yards and four touchdowns.

Defensive players played for much of the game, as the Pioneers dominated time of possession 36:04 to 23:56.

Whiteside finished the season with a team high seven sacks last year.

After two weeks of play the Lions have had both positives and negatives on both sides of the ball, with the latest coming on the defensive side of the field.

The Lions defense gave up a total of 395 yards of offense and stayed on the field for over 36 minutes against Glenville State.

“Defensively, I felt like we came out flat, and we did not come ready to play on that side of the ball,” Bowden said. “We just could not get off the field, and our defense needs to play better this week and get more three-and-outs, or it will be a long game.”

On the offensive side of the ball the

photo by Barry Minor

UNA senior linebacker Marcus Dowtin helps bring down a player during last weekend’s game against Glenville State. The Lion’s defense will be tested this Saturday as the team will play one of the best offenses in the country.

Lions showed some improvements in the passing game from week one, as quarterback Lee Chapple finished with 317 yards and four TDs, leading the Lions to a 48-21 victory.

“Offensively, I thought we played much better from the first game,” Bowden said.

“Chapple looked a lot more relaxed and made some solid throws for us and showed how good he really can be.”

The Lions are scheduled to kick off Sat-

urday at 4 p.m. against Abilene Christian at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX. You can also follow the game on Twitter for live updates throughout the game @FloralaSports.

Thursday, September 15, 2011 • The Flor-Ala

News

Page

11

UNA builds garden honoring, symbolizing NPHC Greeks )[PTMa >QKSMZ[

;\]LMV\ ?ZQ\MZ I^QKSMZ[(]VI ML]

The National Pan-Hellenic Council Garden, which represents African-American sororities and fraternities, is near completion. The garden is located in front on the GUC and expected to near completion by homecoming.

There are nine groups of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), and UNA currently has six. The sororities are: Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta and Zeta Phi Beta. The fraternities are: Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi and Phi Beta Sigma.

“The garden is an annual recognition to (the NPHC’s) presence and contributions to the campus,” said Vice President of Student Affairs David Shields.

Shields said that the president and his staff support this garden.

Shields said that historically black Greek groups don’t have houses.

“It publicly recognizes the importance of our historically black (Greek) groups,” Shields said. “This garden is tremendously important to the university, and it is long overdue.”

Shields said the NPHC is important to

the Greek community and the hope is to dedicate this garden at homecoming.

The Assistant Director of Student Engagement for Greek Affairs DeAnte’ Smith said this garden is not completed yet, but hopefully will be completed by Friday or Saturday of homecoming week. “(Hopefully) enough alumni are coming back,” he said.

Smith said that graduated students, staff and current students have had a hand in building this garden and that all Greek chapters have contributed financially.

Smith said a few instrumental people who helped with the garden are staff members Tammy Jacques, Shields, Michael Gautney and current SGA President Ralph Akalonu.

According to Smith, many people contributed to the garden.

“Without (the graduated students, the staff and current students) it would not have been possible,” Smith said. “(This garden) is very symbolic.”

Delta Sigma Theta President Cierra Smith said she thinks the garden is a good idea.

“I think it recognizes the NPHC,” she said.

The NPHC garden, located in front of the GUC, is expected to give historically African-American Greek groups a place symbolizing their organizations.

Smith said she would like to see the garden finished before homecoming. “(The Greek Garden would) give some-

thing for the alumni to come and see,” she said.

Res Life hires new staff, improves programming +PZQ[\WXPMZ 8MVVQM ;\]LMV\ ?ZQ\MZ KXMVVQM(]VI ML]

Recently, Residence Life acquired four new staff members to help with student life and development on campus: Ralph Chittams, Elissa Rupley, Nathan Meints and Jennifer Ballard.

Director of the Residence Life Kevin Jacques said he conducted a full national search for potential candidates.

“I hired these four because of their skill set, expertise and passions in student affairs,” he said.

Area coordinator of Rice and Rivers Elissa Rupley recently arrived from graduate studies in Indiana State University.

“I like working with the staff,” Rupley said. “They are really receptive, and I enjoy getting to know them.

Rupley sees her position as a challenging experience and an overall great opportunity.

Assistant Director of Residence life Chittams has been working in student affairs since 2004. He also worked in Residence Life in the University of Utah. After meeting Jacques at a conference, he thought of the position as a whole new experience.

“I do not like to be complacent,” he said. “I like to learn from the students as

they learn. If I become stagnant, something is wrong.”

In an effort to get involved, Chittams created an ultimate frisby group on Facebook.

“I want to bridge the gap between students and the staff,” he said.

Meints is the area coordinator for Lagrange, Lafayette, Covington, Hawthorne and Appleby. He also supervises the community advisors and students with concern.

“The atmosphere in Alabama is very different from when I was in Minnesota,” he said. “I love Alabama weather.”

Despite his big transition, Meints already feels comfortable in his new position.

“The staff is like a second family to me,” Meints said. “We are very tight and we enjoy learning things from one another.”

Meints appreciates listening to stories of different incoming students, solving their problems and watching them reach their goals.

“When you put yourself in a new environment, you gain new perspectives,” he said.

Assistant Director of Residence Life Ballard wants to present more opportunities for students to become engaged and look over their developmental process.

“I love that we have a good population of outgoing students that are always excited about the opportunities we offer them,” she said.

Ballard has been working in residence life positions for some time, but her new position gives her the ability to lay ground work and go in the direction she wants the

department to go.

“No two days are the same here,” she said. “Every day is something different.”

Jacques is looking forward to the new school year.

“I am excited about the new staff this year,” Jacques said. “Their combined expertise makes a truly well-rounded team.”

Page

w

12

Extra

September 15, 2011 â&#x20AC;˘ The Flor-Ala

Send us what yo Things about UNA and the Shoals you think are ridiculous at floral u think is r a@una.e idiculou -UNA sharing a stadium with a high school. s du.

-The oldies music at the UNA games. can we get some top 40 please?

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ridiculous

-The blocked off portion of Irvine Street.

-Textbook prices, really--people are getting punched over them.

-The mountain of stairs infront of Towers and the fact that they never end.

-Blocking off the nook of parking next to the Comm building, everyday.