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VOLUME 02 ISSUE 02 FEBRUARY 2014
PIZZA? NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL A VALENTINE!
3 TIMES FAST WE SEE WHAT HE SAW & SEE WHAT SHE SAW
MODERN DATING SAME COMMITMENT, LESS VANS
2 TABLE OF CONTENTS
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FEBRUARY 2014
FEBRUARY 2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS 3
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WHAT SAYS, ‘I LOVE YOU’, BETTER THAN BACON? GIFTS FROM THE HEART P21 FEEDBACK
LETTER
LET’S HEAR IT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
FROM THE EDITOR
HAPPY CAKE DAY
FACEBOOK TURNS 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
LIVE FIT
WELL, FINANCIALLY FIT ANYHOW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
MEET THE MENTOR
ZUCCHINI WILL FLY Oh February, the month of love, chocolates, roses, groundhogs, toothaches and batteries … wait, what? To many, February is a month completely devoted to Cupid’s sweet little arrows. A month of professions, cards, candies and surprises. But what about all those other holidays we’ve been ignoring? I mean who doesn’t want to celebrate Battery Day!? And what about ‘ole Punxsutawney Phil? Groundhogs deserve love too! In the spirit of love, acceptance and maybe a little extra entertainment, we’ve devoted a few pages (p. 11-13) to these lackluster holidays. Hopefully you’ll find one in the list that becomes your favorite holiday of the year and you will fill it with new traditions you can pass on to your grandchildren. My personal favorite? Sneak Some Zucchini On To Your Neighbor’s Porch Day. It’s happening folks — when August 8 comes around it’s going to be zucchini to all and to all a good night! In addition to highlighting some overlooked holidays, we’ve also got a great article on Black History month (p. 33) as well as some great DIY gift ideas for Valentine’s Day (p. 21). And for all you procrastinators out there who forgot to get your special someone a gift, we’ve got something extra special — our very
TURN STRUGGLES INTO A NEED TO HELP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
BEAT THE ODDS
WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM YOUR FRIEND (AND MENTOR). . . . . . . 9
WHAT THE HOLIDAY?
LIKE YOU NEEDED ANY MORE REASONS TO PARTY. . . . . . . . . . 11-13
THEN AND NOW
A LOOK AT RELATIONSHIPS PAST AND PRESENT. . . . . . . . . . . . 15
TROUBLE STICKING TO YOUR PLANS?
TRY PULLING THEM OUT OF A JAR NEXT TIME. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 own Valentines! That’s right, just grab some scissors and a pen and head over to pages 17-20 and he or she will never know you almost forgot about them! SET’s here for you and it doesn’t matter if you’re hastily writing last minute Valentines or you need some help getting some published work in your portfolio, we’ve got your back! Whether you’re a writer, photographer, illustrator or graphic designer, there’s space in these pages for you! Collaborating and contributing to SET gives you great experience as well as some extra cash in your pocket. If you’re interested, check out getsetmag.com/ contribute for more information or email me at editor@getsetmag.com.
WHAT IS GOING ON OUT THERE?
OUR CALENDAR WILL KEEP YOU INFORMED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19
SPOTLIGHT
SET READERS IN ACTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-23
DINNER FOR 2
SIT AT THE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
FERTILZER 101
THERE IS MORE THAN LOVE IN THE AIR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
YOUR MOVE..E
GENDER REVERSAL MOVIE REVIEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-27
DREDD SCOTT
A LEGACY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
FREESTYLE
Happy Holidays!
ONE FINAL THOUGHT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 BY LINLEY MOBLEY, EDITOR
SET CONTRIBUTORS JOEY WRIGHT Florence, AL
JAMES THIGPEN Killen, AL
DREW MILLS
Tuscumbia, AL
SET is a publication by and for local young people dedicated to lifestyle, finance, technology and community. It is published by Listerhill Credit Union as
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KALI DANIEL
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ALLIE SOCKWELL
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NIKKI MESSER Florence, AL
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JESSI VINES, @JESSIGRAPEVINES “The “save money everytime you earn concept” is something I should definitely take into consideration, considering I’m broke the day after I get paid... Also, enjoyed reading the cheese making, being green, and of course the style article by the beautiful Rebecca Logsdon. oh and #15 on the word find. Haha. Best issue yet!”
CLINT ALLEY, @CLINT_ALLEY “The cheese section was awesome! I can’t wait to try it myself!”
BRADY GOMILLION, @BRADYGOMILLION “I love that SET is reflecting so well what is happening in the Shoals today. Especially our love for music, art and all things creative as well as supporting our local outlets for healthy eating and living. They encompass so well the sense of community we have here.”
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TECH 5
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Americans spend 13.9b minutes a year on Facebook.
70% of Facebook users are outside of the US.
FACEBOOK’S 10TH BIRTHDAY “Facebook has 500 million members in 207 countries. It’s currently valued at 25 billion dollars.” Now, in 2014, Facebook has 1.19 billion active users and is valued at over 133 billion dollars. The site’s future, however, is less clear.
MARK ZUCKERBERG HAS REVOLUTIONIZED SOCIAL MEDIA OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS.
TEN YEARS OF MAKING WAVES AND STORING NAMES What originally started out as a college “Hot or Not” game became the world’s most powerful social network, developing interactivity never before imagined. Facebook was created a decade ago, on Feb. 4, 2004, though it seems like just yesterday we were transitioning from MySpace to this more mature, organized social media site. Mark Zuckerberg’s predecessor to Facebook, Facemash, was developed specifically for Harvard students who could choose who was hotter in a comparison of two faces. After
expanding the site to eventually include anyone over the age of 13 with an email address, the site was auctioned off for just over $30,000. Anyone who has seen “The Social Network” knows what happened from there. Zuckerburg worked with Eduardo Saverin to create Thefacebook. Between building the company, website and the finances as well as lawsuits from the prime competitors, the Winklevoss twins, and Saverin himself, Zuckerburg had his hands full. Even though he endured some hardship, he made it out alive. As the 2010 film’s epilogue states,
When most people joined Facebook 10 years ago, they were in high school, college or graduate school. Since then, they have been constantly kept in the loop with photos from people they knew a decade ago. They’ve watched people they knew once upon a time enter relationships, get married, have kids and gain jobs. Though as more and more friends accumulate, it becomes difficult to keep up with every aspect of each person’s lives. In 2014, Facebook stocks have increased and so have watchdog parents and grandparents who consistently confuse comment boxes with the Google search bar. People are still using the term “Facebookofficial,” yet are tired of having to find out about births, deaths and engagements on social media with thousands of their closest strangers. With niche social media sites still booming, WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter could very well take the place of Facebook. While there has been a decline in the teen and young adult demographic of users for Facebook, it looks like the vast majority of users won’t be leaving the site any time soon. Facebook’s chief financial officer David A. Ebersman stated in November there was “a decrease in daily users, specifically among younger teens.” This decrease is not from deleting accounts, just less activity and log-ins. Thinking of it as a mall provides a more literal sense of where it’s going and not going, said sociologist Nathan Jurgenson. People are gazing into the windows of their friends’ lives, wandering around the mall and getting a feel for it, he said. There comes a time, however, when you get bored of seeing the same things over and over again — you get bored of the mall. You don’t stop going to the mall, you simply go less frequently.
Anthropologists claim that between bathtub baby pictures from Uncle Joe and public questions on whether your cramps lightened up from Aunt Myrtle, Facebook may embarrass teens and young adults, pushing them further away from the site. That being the case, the site itself is not at fault, rather the development of culture and the search for a sort of “public privacy.” Teens seek to relate with peers on their own terms without having private information spread about. They will always turn away from technology adults begin to turn to, if not to protect their image then to protect their privacy. More and more young adults are being educated on businesses utilizing social media to peek into lives of potential employees. Websites like Facebook can attain information from individual profiles just as easily as companies and potential employers, but can store this information long-term, filtering ads from sponsors to users with the most interest in those topics. These interactive advertisements appeal to the audiences and Facebook has verified they are hiring more staff in 2014 to perfect algorithms and reduce the likelihood of useless, confusing ads. Situations where you read “To Kill A Mockingbird” will no longer affect advertisements by promoting those sidebars for “Alcoholics Anonymous” or “Bird Watching Magazine.” From a Harvard “Who’s Hotter” site to a Google competitor, Facebook has come far in the last decade. Its double-digit anniversary on Feb. 4 will be celebrated with its billions of users who will remain loyally avoiding deadlines, homework and face-to-face conversations to spend time on the eternal scroll of Facebook.
STORY BY KALI DANIEL
6 MONEY
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Students spend half their money on gadgets, food, entertainment and clothes.
84% of students admit they need financial education.
THE FINANCIAL DIET
TIPS FOR A FIT AND FRUGAL FINANCIAL LIFESTYLE. Let’s face it, living healthy and staying active are huge challenges to a lot of young people these days. From my own experience, it’s a great deal easier to run through the drive-thru than it is to take the time to cook up a meal at home. Seriously, who wants to spend a huge chunk of their free time at the gym? Who wants to slave away in the kitchen when there is a quicker alternative? Although some people have the self-discipline and resolve to live a healthy lifestyle, it clearly won’t work out well for everyone. Luckily, when it comes to one’s finances, there are ways to “trim the fat” that anyone can take advantage of.
1. AVOID CARELESS, NEEDLESS SPENDING.
This may seem simple or obvious, but it is perhaps the single most important thing you can do. In the same way that nutritionists and personal trainers warn against artificial sugars and “empty calories,” there are some types of spending that are likely to do more harm than good over time. Examples:
money each week and put it toward that purchase. The bottom line here is that whatever you manage to cut out of your spending can be used for bigger purchases or even just a rainy day.
your finances, as well as provide you with the means to better organize your accounts. Why stick to pen and paper when there are so many vibrant and intuitive interfaces out there to use?
3. WHAT’S IN YOUR WALLET?
So, is this the definitive list of tips for “financial dieting?” Of course not. Odds are, someone reading this article has the secret ingredient to stopping careless spending. Or maybe they’ll design the next big financial tool that takes the world by storm. Whatever the case may be, this is simply a jump-off point for your future financial health. Just like with weight loss, the whole process is much easier when you are younger. Why not replace bad spending habits with good ones? I guarantee the benefits will be well worth it.
• Frequent fast food and dine in meals. We all know that buying groceries is better for our health and our wallet.
If you are like me, you will spend cash faster than the Flash on steroids. I have to make sure I don’t ever have a lot of cash on hand or I will end up with stacks and stacks of new CD’s and magazines. Likewise, some people save better by having more cash on hand because they can physically see their wallet shrink. If cash doesn’t effect you, but you’re are a swipe-a-holic, then you might want to consider keeping a lower balance in your account so you don’t have excess money to spend. Find out what’s best for you and stick to it!
2. MOTIVATE YOURSELF.
4. UTILIZE FINANCIAL TOOLS.
• Impulse buys. Do you really need all 10 of those magazines? • Multiple subscription services. Having a subscription to Hulu Plus, Netflix and Amazon Prime at the same time is a little ridiculous.
What is keeping you from breaking your spending diet? Obviously, if you create a goal or reward system for yourself that coincides with your proposed spending, you will have a much easier time sticking to it. Got your eye on a new laptop? Planning a trip? Why not set aside an amount of
In this technologically infused world we live in, there are all kinds of neat and useful ways to manage your finances. Online banking, mobile apps and free services like Mint.com and SimpleD are just a few of the ways you can keep tabs on your spending. Using these tools will help you stay on top of
STORY BY JOEY WRIGHT
FEBRUARY 2014
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MONEY 7
8 HERO
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Mentoring can result in more graduating students.
Parents quickly see a change in a mentored child.
MOTIVATING MENTORS TURNING STRUGGLES INTO A PASSION TO HELP. It’s no secret that Erica Gholson, a second year grad student at the University of North Alabama (UNA), has a passion for serving others. “My vision to provide support for at-risk youth has been a long time in the making,” Gholson said. While in college, she was a member
of the UNA Honors Program and a participant in the Miss Alabama Organization. Because both organizations maintained a community service component, Gholson began her search for an organization that was close to her heart. She found the North Alabama Girls Group Home, which housed girls 12-18 years old who had offenses ranging from violence to theft. Through this, Gholson began to connect with them on a personal level and wanted to encourage them. “What I quickly realized is that these girls really never stood a chance,” said Gholson. “It was then that I knew this was the area in which I could most fully serve and I have been developing it as my platform.” Gholson could relate in some ways to these girls from her own experiences. Her parents were divorced because of a domestic violence charge, giving her
FEBRUARY 2014
dad custody of Gholson and her brother. “This experience is my story, because it is with this testimony God has equipped me to relate to and mentor kids in similar, if not much worse, circumstances,” Gholson said. Unfortunately the Girls Group Home shut down while Gholson was still in college, but that didn’t stop her from serving. Gholson worked with Florence Middle School’s program, Pathways, targeting at-risk students. Through this, Gholson partnered the middle school with UNA and created UNA Mentors Academy. “Knowing that at-risk students primarily need a positive influence has been the driving force behind my initiative from the beginning,” said Gholson. “I’ve learned it is incredibly hard to build a new idea from the ground up. It’s surreal that it is finally happening!”
STORY BY ALLIE SOCKWELL
FEBRUARY 2014
NONPROFIT 9
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Having a mentor is proven to improve a young person’s self-esteem and lifestyle choices.
BEATING ODDS MENTORS KYLE JEFFERSON, ALEX HOLLIS, COURTNEY WOOD, WHITNEY BROWN, ERICA GHOLSON AND KAHRI BOLDEN
We are a new student mentoring initiative designed to support and encourage at-risk youth. Currently, UMA is partnered exclusively with Florence Middle School and is to serve the students of this population via the Pathways class, a class of students deemed at-risk based on evidence of academic, social, and/or circumstantial deficits.
Erica Gholson, UMA President eegholson@una.edu
UNA STUDENTS MENTORING AT-RISK YOUTH Four years ago, Erica Gholson was a sophomore at the University of North Alabama (UNA) with a vision of encouraging at-risk students. Her vision has now become a reality with the creation of UNA Mentors Academy, an organization that matches college students with at-risk middle school students in Florence, Ala. in order to mentor and share their own stories and challenges. The program stemmed off Florence Middle School’s program Pathways, the first program of its kind in Alabama to target at-risk students collectively and in an unconventional way. After being involved in Pathways and realizing what positive changes it was bringing, Gholson pitched the idea of a partnership with UNA and Pathways through a service proposal for UNA’s Contribution to Campus Life Award. The proposal was selected, launching the UNA Mentors Academy. “Our mentors will focus on a wide range of issues, from bullying, eating disorders, homelessness and even
choosing a direction in life. The idea is that each mentor touches on a different type of adversity he or she has overcome,” Gholson said. Gholson didn’t want to necessarily recruit mentors for the program, especially if they didn’t share her passion for at-risk youth; she knew if a student approached her after reading an email about UNA Mentors Academy, he or she likely had a heart for the job. Gholson received many applications and put together a team of compassionate mentors. “It’s one thing for me to be passionate about a cause, but to find others with a like mind is another story,” said Gholson. “I could not be more proud of this tiny blip of civil servants in our UNA student body!” The mentors will go into Florence Middle School and share their stories with the group. Once all mentors have spoken, Gholson and the Florence Middle School teachers will pair up a mentor with an at-risk student who shares a similar background. The mentor and student, or a small group of students, will then meet monthly at the school until the end of the academic year. Contact Gholson by email at eegholson@una.edu for more information on how to get involved as a mentor for future semesters.
STORY BY ALLIE SOCKWELL
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UNDERAPPRECIATED HOLIDAYS GET A NEW LEASE ON LIFE! Feeling like the holidays are over and there is nothing exciting happening until summer break? Well, I have great news friends. There are tons of great holidays that we are forgetting and tossing to the wayside. This month, let’s band together and bring to life these underappreciated holidays and make them the next big thing! Continued on page 12
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PRESIDENTS’ DAY (2014: FEB. 17)
FRUITCAKE TOSS DAY (JAN. 3) This holiday started in Manitou Springs, Colorado in 1995; this holiday is taken very seriously. Bring a regulation fruitcake (weighing at least one pound, completely edible, filled with disgusting candied fruits) and participate in events like fruitcake hurling, catching and throwing competitions. There is even a Fruitcake Derby in which you put wheels on your baked goods and race them against one another! The great thing about this holiday is that fruitcake is the holiday gift that no one asks for but everyone receives. Fruitcake Toss Day couldn’t be a more perfect way to get rid of that nasty old pastry.
GROUNDHOG DAY (FEB. 2) Many people mark the changing of seasons by traditional dates like the Winter Solstice and Vernal Equinox, but a rodent in Punxsutawney, PA trumps all of those ancient traditions. This holiday was started by Pennsylvania’s earliest German settlers as a replacement for the legend of Candlemas Day (“For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day, so far will the snow swirl in May.”). Each year, Punxsutawney Phil has held the responsibility of predicting the change in weather since 1887. According to legend, if the groundhog sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If he does not, then we get an early spring! With Punxsutawney Phil being so far away, how can we really trust his prediction for us? Well, rest assured, both Alabama and Tennesee have their very own weather predicting groundhogs. Birmingham Bill gives us the forecast for Alabama from the Birmingham Zoo while Chattanooga Chuck does the same from the Tennessee Aquarium.
HOMEMADE SOUP DAY (FEB. 4) Need we say more? Celebrate this holiday with friends by having a soup potluck!
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KITE FLYING DAY (FEB. 8) Kite flying is a spring pastime that predates the founding of the United States. The ancient Chinese military used kites for signaling as early as 3000 years ago. Benjamin Franklin famously flew kites during lightening storms for experiments with electricity. There’s even a Mary Poppins song devoted to kite flying. While Kite Flying Day is in the middle of winter for some people, Southerners can often enjoy a break in the blustery weather to go spend some time outside. At least now we can all have a good excuse for chapped cheeks and wind-swept hair.
NATIONAL TOOTHACHE DAY (FEB. 9) Some may ask why you would want to celebrate such a terrible ailment like a toothache with a holiday. It is speculated that this day was created by dentists to educate children about teeth cleaning. Some also speculate that this date was selected because it is the same date as the founding of the Hershey Corporation (everyone knows chocolate = the best kind of toothache). Take this day to love on your chompers — brush them, floss them, gurgle a little mouthwash and tell your teeth you love them. They do a lot for you!
ST. VALENTINE’S DAY (FEB. 14, DUH) We all know about Valentine’s Day. Whether you gave a box of cartoon-themed Jolly Ranchers or you received a diamond ring, you probably understand the spirit of the holiday. In the Catholic tradition, the name St. Valentine was given to several of the early martyrs in the church. Valentine’s Day is founded around the idea of St. Valentine of Rome, who was the patron saint of engaged couples, happy marriages, love, lovers, young people and epilepsy. There are many legends surrounding this holiday, but one is that St. Valentine was imprisoned and fell in love with the jailer’s daughter, who would frequently come to visit him. Before he was to carry out his death sentence, he wrote her a letter signed, “From your Valentine.” Awwwwww.
Most of us know this as another national holiday. Even more of us just remember getting out of school that day. Presidents’ Day was conceived as, and originally celebrated as homage to George Washington. For a while it was celebrated only in reference to our first president. Now, the holiday is meant to celebrate all presidents. So, when you’re wondering why you’re out of school or why there’s a sudden mega-sale on mattresses, take time to remember that our country requires some excellent leadership, and that each person who takes on the challenge of presidency deserves the utmost respect.
BATTERY DAY (FEB. 18) This holiday is actually pretty boring. There are no traditions, no songs, no fancy dress. It’s just a day devoted to appreciating the little invention that pretty much runs our lives. Just about every conventional electronic device runs on batteries, including the device used to write this article. When you think about it, it’s kind of amazing how batteries make our lives easier. How about, in celebration of Battery Day this year, try a day without using a single battery. That will prove to you just how much we rely on those little guys.
ARBOR DAY (2014: ALABAMA-FEB. 28, TENNESSEE-MARCH 7) Arbor Day is a simple and awesome concept: A holiday in which all you do is plant trees. You may not have even acknowledged this holiday since 3rd grade when you teacher made you get outside and plant a tree as a class, but this is a holiday we should all get behind. Let’s be honest, getting out and planting trees is much better than going to school, going to work, watching TV, playing video games or scrolling through Twitter. And you are making the Earth a more beautiful and healthier place to live in for future generations! What a humanitarian you are!
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FRIDAY THE 13TH (THE ONLY ONE THIS YEAR IS IN JUNE)
LEAP DAY (NEXT ONE OCCURS IN 2016) Every four years, we add one extra day to the calendar, Feb. 29, so the Gregorian calendar year of 365 days matches up the solar calendar of 365 days and 6 hours. Though it messes up everyone and everything for 24 hours, in the long run, it makes everything work out perfectly! This is not usually a holiday associated with many traditions but it does seem to have a history behind it — according to Irish legend, St. Bridget struck a deal with St. Patrick to allow women to propose to men one day every four years, Leap Day. It is said that a man is expected to pay a penalty to a woman (like clothing or jewelry) if he refuses a marriage proposal on Leap Day. So ladies, get out there and profess your love! Even if he says no, you may get a pretty dress out of the deal!
SOMETHING ON A STICK DAY (MARCH 28) Step 1. Put something on a stick Step 2. Eat it.
MAY DAY (MAY 1) May Day began as an ancient day of celebration surrounding a pagan holiday. It was always accompanied with raucous parties and feasts. It has evolved throughout the years but is now a wonderful celebration of the spring season. It involves many fun activities like dancing around a maypole (a tall pole with ribbons hanging down from it), making flowers crowns and making May baskets—small containers filled with flowers and treats. Sounds like a hippie’s paradise, right? The best tradition around May Day is giving someone a May basket. The giver rings their friend’s doorbell, sets the basket down and runs away. The person getting the basket tries to catch the fleeing giver. If caught, a kiss is exchanged. It is kind of a fun (somewhat creepy) version of ding-dong-ditch!
Tracing back as far as 1869, there have been recorded superstitions in various religions and cultures that 13 is an unlucky number and Friday is an unlucky day. This superstition has permeated so much into our culture that we have a horror movie series named after it and a clinically named phobia for it — friggatriskaidekaphobia (rolls right off the tongue, huh?). Fortunately, for those of us who are not superstitious, a Dutch study in 2008 confirmed that fewer accidents, building fires and thefts happen on Friday the 13th because, due to fear of this day, a lot of the population chooses not to get out of their house. Sounds like an ideal day to take a road trip!
SNEAK SOME ZUCCHINI ON TO YOUR NEIGHBOR’S PORCH DAY (AUGUST 8) Yes, this is real. This holiday is pretty self-explanatory and to some (most) it may seem a bit strange. But, have you not ever gotten the urge to chunk vegetables at the homes of your unsuspecting neighbors?? This is your day to shine!
HOLIDAY ALTERNATIVES Are you the type to go against the grain in everything you do? Then alternative holidays are right up your alley! Rebel against the typical holiday traditions and check out these alternatives to the most popular holidays.
HORNED LIZARD DAY A SCALY VALENTINE’S DAY ALTERNATIVE (FEB. 14) The origins of Horned Lizard Day are pretty obscure. Honestly, aside from a couple of websites and obscure Tumblr posts, there’s really no evidence to suggest this holiday actually exists. However, its creativity gives it a fighting chance in the wake of the day from which Hallmark gets most of its nourishment. This day has one simple, noble goal — to glorify the beauty of this majestic lizard. The fact that this reptile has the ability to shoot blood from its eyes is enough to make anyone want to celebrate this day. The people you love probably already
know you love them. Horned lizards deserve love, too!
NATIONAL FUN AT WORK DAY APRIL FOOL’S DAY ALTERNATIVE (APRIL 1) This is a holiday to help break up the monotony of daily work. Ideally, work should be fun, but this holiday exists for those who need a little enjoyment makeover at the office. Many workplaces have themes for this holiday. Some popular ideas include Office Olympics, Bring Your Pet to Work, Karaoke and Office Dessert Buffet. Sometimes, you just need to have fun! It makes you happier and can definitely increase your productivity.
TAKEOVER A FOREIGN LAND DAY COLUMBUS DAY ALTERNATIVE (OCT. 13) Celebrate the birth of Christopher Columbus by taking over someone else’s property. This holiday can be celebrated on numerous levels. In the small scale, you could walk onto someone’s home and tell them to leave because you own it now. On the larger scale, you can take three boats with a bunch of your closest friends and travel to a country inhabited by millions of others. Simply say “I claim this land in the name of (your name)!” Easy and fun!
FESTIVUS A CHRISTMAS ALTERNATIVE (DEC. 23) Festivus is a holiday born from the genius of “Seinfeld” writer Dan O’Keefe in response to the commercialism and stress of the holiday season. Festivus includes traditions to satirically parallel Christmas such as the Festivus pole (an unadorned aluminum pole), Festivus dinner (a run-of-the-mill evening meal), the airing of grievances (because peace on earth is overrated) and feats of strength (a wrestling match usually born of the airing of grievances). Everyone should celebrate Festivus because at some point or another, Christmas has stressed us out. All the family-visiting, present-wrapping, gift-shopping and carol-singing can really get old, right? So this year, warm yourself by the reflective light of the Festivus pole and proclaim your crippling disappointment to the world.
STORY BY CLAIRE STEWART & DREW MILLS
14 SPECIAL FEATURE
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Puritans gave thimbles instead of wedding rings.
19th century doctors gave chocolate to broken hearts.
SEASONS OF LOVE Jane said. “We went on a lot of fun dates too! We would go out to eat, go to football games and even go camping with my family in the summertime.” “Jane would go deer hunting with me in the fall and sometimes we would go hiking and looking for waterfalls,” Doug added. “Driving out to the King’s Drive-In Movie Theatre in Russellville was fun too!” Many couples back then would date for only a couple of months before settling down and getting married, which rang true for the Robinsons. Doug proposed to Jane that same Christmas when he got down on one knee and asked her, “So what are you doing the rest of your life?” Jane of course said yes, and like many couples at the time, the wedding followed quickly. They tied the knot at Wilson Park in Florence six months later and began their life together. Their marriage has lasted the past 34 years due to the strong base of love and commitment they share.
You’ve not only committed to a person in a relationship, but you’ve committed to dealing with tons of questions (sometimes from people you don’t really know) ranging from, “So when are you guys finally going to get married?” to, “WHAT HAPPENED?!?!?!” when, unfortunately, it doesn’t work and you had to bitterly change your status from ‘in a relationship’ to ‘single.’
FAST FORWARD TO TODAY SCARLETT ROBINSON AND WILL BOLE (ABOVE); JANE AND DOUG ROBINSON (RIGHT), OF FLORENCE, ALA.
A COMPARISON OF HOW LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS HAVE CHANGED OVER THE PAST THREE DECADES. A lot has changed over the past 35 years. We have traded bellbottoms in for skinny jeans, vinyl records for iTunes and VHS tapes for Netflix. From courting to going steady, one thing that is constantly evolving is the dating relationship. For our parents, dating seemed easy and most couples met and got married by the age of 20, but today we live in a world where there seems to be more time, stress and drama factored into dating. I had the opportunity to talk to two couples — one married
nearly 35 years and another dating only a couple of months — to compare how dating has changed over the years.
REMEMBER WHEN
In January 1978, after meeting on the campus of The University of North Alabama, a sweet romance budded between two students, 23 year-old Doug Robinson and 18-year old Jane Clemmons. “After we met, we started dating soon after and things just started going great,”
Relationships seemed easy back then, but over the years a lot of things have changed. Our generation is focused more on getting an education and going after their dreams than settling down, which means we are getting married later in life. Because of this, dating has changed a lot compared to the ease and quickness it had 30 years ago. Scarlett Robinson (Doug and Jane’s daughter) and her boyfriend, Will Bole, were introduced by a friend last summer when she was working at a local grocery store. They were immediately attracted to each other, but it would be a few months before anything came of it. In the dating world today, couples don’t immediately jump into a commitment. They enter into a (sometimes very long) period of “talking,” which we all know means you both like each other, you text a lot (because talking on the phone isn’t really a thing anymore) but the two of you aren’t ready to DTR (define the relationship). Scarlett and Will didn’t start talking in December after she asked him to go to a Christmas party with her. After you’ve gotten the ‘talking’ out of the way, the next step is making it ‘Facebook official.’ For our generation, being Facebook official shows everyone that this relationship is the real deal.
Scarlett and Will decided to take the leap and make things Facebook official shortly after their first few dates. “We have a lot of good times!” Will said of their new relationship. “We love to do adventurous things together, like go ice skating, go to estate sales, and go on trips,” Scarlett added. “But we also enjoy staying home to cook and have movie nights with our families.” As for their future, Scarlett and Will are just trying to have fun and see where things go. While relationships are sure to change over the years, it’s nice to know that some things stay the same. In the end, dating is all about the other person and the love, attraction and affection shared between you.
STORY BY SARAH EMERSON
16 ART/DIY
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FEBRUARY 2014
FEBRUARY 2014
ART/DIY 17
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150m cards are exchanged within 6 days of Valentines.
Men spend twice as much as women on Valentines.
PHOTO BY SARAH WALLEY
GIFTS FROM THE HEART A CREATIVE GIFT GUIDE FOR VALENTINE’S DAY. When it comes to Valentine’s Day I think simplicity is key. Something thoughtful and handmade usually has more meaning than an expensive, predictable gift. For this loveydovey holiday I recommend making something yourself! The DIY projects below are easy for guys and girls alike and can be made for your BFFFF or shnuggly shnookums. All supplies for these crafts can be found locally. Happy crafting!
4. OREO POPS
A pop of sweetness for your sweetie! Supplies: Lollipop sticks, chocolate and sprinkles
Reinvent a deck of cards with sincere and funny thoughts. Supplies: Deck of playing cards, 2 book rings, hole puncher, paper, marker and glue
2. PHOTO BLOCK PUZZLE
Display your memories on a rotatable decoration. Supplies: 9-27 wooden blocks, photos, scissors, sandpaper (optional), Mod Podge and foam brush How to: Decide how large you want your puzzle to be and buy your blocks accordingly. Also, decide if you want a
Oreos,
How to: Melt chocolate in microwave for increments of 30 seconds, stirring in between to prevent from burning. Carefully take the top off the Oreo and push the lollipop stick into the white filling (you might want to use some of the melted chocolate as glue). Place the top back on the Oreo and then dip into chocolate and cover in sprinkles. To wrap individually, you can buy treat bags to put them in and tie with ribbon.
1. 52 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT YOU
How to: Hole punch each playing card on the top and bottom of the left side. Cut out your choice of paper to fit onto the card and glue it down. Once dried, write down unique things you love about your significant other on each card. Clip the cards together using the book rings and you’re done!
your bacon roses on the rack in your oven, with the foil lined broiler pan on the rack below to catch the grease. Cook for 30-40 minutes, checking on them occasionally. While you’re waiting for the buds to cook, pull off all the roses from the stems and separate the green base from the rose petals. Reassemble the green base forcing the stem to stick out about 1 inch. Once your bacon is done, remove from the oven and place on a paper towel to drain the grease. Pick out your favorite bacon buds and slide onto protruding stems. Guaranteed to make your bacon-lover’s day.
5. DATE NIGHT JAR
The gift that keeps on giving (well, at least for a year). Supplies: Mason jar, wooden Popsicle sticks, markers, construction paper, hot glue gun and ribbon.
A DATE NIGHT JAR IS GOOD FOR EVERY OCCASION. large picture to complete one, two or all sides of your puzzle when put together. Print a variety of photos (on paper) to attach to the wooden blocks. Cut photos as needed. Using your foam brush put a thin layer of Mod Podge on the wooden block to glue the photo pieces down. Once dried, add a top layer of Mod Podge to finish it off. After your second layer has dried you can used sand paper (moving side-to-side carefully) to take off any excess paper on the sides of your blocks.
3. BACON ROSES
What says, “I love you,” better than bacon? Supplies: Two packages of bacon, toothpicks, tin foil, broiler pan and plastic rose stems How to: Preheat the oven to 375F. Roll each slice of bacon, starting with the widest end. At the bottom of your roll, insert two toothpicks to hold the bacon together and make a stand. Place all of
How to: Color-code 52 wooden Popsicle sticks, one for each weekend of the year, according to date categories (ex: blue = road trip, green = go out, red = stay in). Using a marker, write down date ideas on each Popsicle stick according to the date category and place in jar. Decorate your jar with ribbons or paper and enjoy your dates for the next year!
STORY BY NIKKI MESSER
18 CALENDAR
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EVENTS UNA BASKETBALL VS. SHORTER @ Flowers Hall, Florence, AL 3:00pm BOOMERANG @ Puckett’s, Columbia, TN 8:30pm WESLEY BUTLER & SUMMER HULLENDER @ Swampers Bar & Grille, Florence, AL 9:00pm KEITH URBAN, LITTLE BIG TOWN & DUSTIN LYNCH @ Bridgestone Arena, Nashvil e, TN 7:00pm LIVE TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Hacienda, Columbia, TN 7:00pm DANNY TRASHVILLE PRESENTS @ Kimbro’s Café, Franklin, TN 8:00pm DJ KIDD ROCK @ Rattlesnake Saloon, Tuscumbia, AL
FEBRUARY 2
GROUNDHOG DAY SUPER BOWL @ MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ 6:20pm ET
FEBRUARY 3
SHANE BAKER, KEVIN SLEDGE, BRYAN FARRIS @ Swampers Bar & Grille, Florence, AL 5:00pm LIVE TRIVIA NIGHT @ Pancho’s Place, Columbia, TN 6:00pm
FEBRUARY 4
HOMEADE SOUP DAY KAREN GRUBER & TIM CANNON @ Swampers Bar & Grille, Florence, AL 5:00pm LIVE TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN 7:00pm UNA OAC SCAVENGER HUNT @ OAC, Florence, AL 7:00pm UNA BASKETBALL VS. UNION @ Flowers Hall, Florence, AL 8:00pm
FEBRUARY 5
WILL MCFARLANE & CHRIS LUCAS @ Swampers Bar & Grille, Florence, AL 5:00pm BUDDY GUY & JONNY LANG @ Von Braun Civic Center, Huntsville, AL 8:00pm
FEBRUARY 6
ARCHIE HUBBARD & BARRY BILLINGS @ Swampers Bar & Grille, Florence, AL 5:00pm LIVE TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Hacienda, Columbia, TN 6:30pm LIVE TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN 7:00pm
FEBRUARY 1 - FEBRUARY 28 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
DONNY ULISSE AND THE POOR MOUNTAIN BOORS @ Kimbro’s Café, Franklin, TN 7:30pm SMOKE ON THE MOUNTAIN @ Shoals Theater, Florence, AL 7:30pm TYLER BARHAM @ Puckett’s, Columbia, TN 8:00pm
PHOTO BY DARBE ROTACH
FEBRUARY 1
FEBRUARY 2014
FEBRUARY 7
SPELUNKING WITH UNA OAC @ Johnson’s Cave, 3:00pm DANIEL ELIAS CRISLER & RUSTY MOODY @ Swampers Bar & Grille, Florence, AL 5:00pm STEP SING 2014 @ Norton Auditorium, Florence, AL 7:00pm HUNTSVILLE HAVOC VS. BLOOMINGTON THUNDER @ Von Braun Civic Center, Huntsville, AL 7:30pm SMOKE ON THE MOUNTAIN @ Shoals Theater, Florence, AL 7:30pm TYLER BARHAM @ Puckett’s, Columbia, TN 8:00pm CHEAP THRILLE DEVILLE, URSA LOCOMODUS, JESSE HUNTER & CALIGULOVE @ Pegasus Records, Florence, AL 8:00pm ART CRAWL WITH PETER PANDEMIC @ Kimbro’s Café, Franklin, TN 8:00pm KINGS OF LEON & GARY CLARK JR. @ Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN 8:00pm KARAOKE @ Rattlesnake Saloon, Tuscumbia, AL
FEBRUARY 8
KITE FLYING DAY UNA BASEBALL VS. LEMOYNE OWEN @ Self Field, Florence, AL 1:00pm LIVE TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Hacienda, Columbia, TN 7:00pm STEP SING 2014 @ Norton Auditorium, Florence, AL 7:00pm NASHVILLE PREDATORS VS. ANAHEIM DUCKS @ Bridgestone Arena, Nashvil e, TN 7:00pm THE ENABLERS @ Kimbro’s Café, Franklin, TN 7:00pm HUNTSVILLE HAVOC VS. BLOOMINGTON THUNDER @ Von Braun Civic Center, Huntsville, AL 7:30pm SMOKE ON THE MOUNTAIN @ Shoals Theater, Florence, AL 7:30pm CRASHING BROADWAY @ Flobama, Florence, AL 8:00pm GYPSY ROSE @ Gary’s Place, Spring Hill, TN 8:00pm
RACHEL WAMMACK WILL BE PLAYING AT SWAMPERS IN FLORENCE ON FEBRUARY 11 AT 5:00PM. BICHO BROTHERS @ Puckett’s, Columbia, TN 8:30pm LUKE DUNKIN @ Swampers Bar & Grille, Florence, AL 9:00pm JOSEPH BALDWIN @ Rattlesnake Saloon, Tuscumbia, AL
FEBRUARY 9
NATIONAL TOOTHACHE DAY UNA BASEBALL VS. LEMOYNE OWEN @ Self Field, Florence, AL 1:00pm SMOKE ON THE MOUNTAIN @ Shoals Theater, Florence, AL 2:00pm GOT TALENT COMPETITION @ Puckett’s, Columbia, TN 7:00pm
FEBRUARY 10
SHANE BAKER & TREY HARDIN @ Swampers Bar & Grille, Florence, AL 5:00pm LIVE TRIVIA NIGHT @ Pancho’s Place, Columbia, TN 6:00pm
FEBRUARY 11
UNA OAC RECYCLED PRODUCTS CLINIC @ SCA Tissue, Florence, AL 2:00pm RACHEL WAMMACK & HARVEY THOMPSON @ Swampers Bar & Grille, Florence, AL 5:00pm LIVE TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia,
TN 7:00pm GOV’T MULE @ Von Braun Civic Center, Huntsville, AL 8:00pm
FEBRUARY 12
WILL MCFARLANE & CHRISTIAN TURNER @ Swampers Bar & Grille, Florence, AL 5:00pm MARTIN RODRIGUEZ @ Gary’s Place, Spring Hill, TN 7:00pm PILLAR OF FIRE SHOWS “SOMEWHERE IN TIME” @ Florence-Lauderdale Public Library, Florence, AL 7:00pm
FEBRUARY 13
MICHAEL LEDBETTER & BARRY BILLINGS @ Swampers Bar & Grille, Florence, AL 5:00pm LIVE TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN 7:00pm TERRY CORNER & THE BEST IN TOWN @ Kimbro’s Café, Franklin, TN 7:30pm VINCE GILL & AMY GRANT @ Von Braun Civic Center, Huntsville, AL 8:00pm THE BIRD & THE BEAR AND MARYANNA DEVLIN @ Kimbro’s Café, Franklin, TN 10:00pm
FEBRUARY 14
VALENTINE’S DAY RUSTY MOODY & JON DAVIS @ Swampers Bar & Grille, Florence, AL 5:00pm
IF YOU HAVE ANY EVENTS YOU WOULD LIKE LISTED, EMAIL CALENDAR@GETSETMAG.COM
MAKKY KAYLOR’S “A SWANKY LITTLE VALENTINE’S SHOW” @ Puckett’s, Columbia, TN 6:30pm KRISTIN LARKIN ALBUM RELEASE PARTY @ Kimbro’s Café, Franklin, TN 8:00pm KARAOKE @ Rattlesnake Saloon, Tuscumbia, AL
FEBRUARY 15
UNA BASEBALL TAILGATING WITH OAC @ Self Field, Florence, AL 10:00am UNA BASEBALL VS. WEST FLORIDA @ Self Field, Florence, AL 1:00pm KIMBRO’S BLUES/FOLK/SOUL EXPLOSION FT. LEO “BUD” WELCH @ Kimbro’s Café, Franklin, TN 8:00pm MATT PRATER & MIKE COLE @ Swampers Bar & Grille, Florence, AL 9:00pm ORANGE CRUSH ROCK @ Gary’s Place, Spring Hill, TN 9:00pm DJ KIDD ROCK @ Rattlesnake Saloon, Tuscumbia, AL
FEBRUARY 16
UNA BASEBALL VS. WEST FLORIDA @ Self Field, Florence, AL 1:00pm HUNTSVILLE HAVOC VS. KNOXVILLE ICE BEARS @ Von Braun Civic Center, Huntsville, AL 5:00pm
FEBRUARY 2014
FEBRUARY 17
PRESIDENTS’ DAY JUSTIN HOLDER & TIM CANNON @ Swampers Bar & Grille, Florence, AL 5:00pm
FEBRUARY 18
BATTERY DAY KAREN GRUBER & HARVEY THOMPSON @ Swampers Bar & Grille, Florence, AL 5:00pm LIVE TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN 7:00pm UNA OAC ARCHERY CLINIC @ Flowers Hall, Florence, AL 7:00pm
FEBRUARY 19
HOPE STAMPS & JAY BURGESS @ Swampers Bar & Grille, Florence, AL 5:00pm
FEBRUARY 20
CALENDAR 19
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MATT PRATER & RUSSELL MEFFORD @ Swampers Bar & Grille, Florence, AL 5:00pm LIVE TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN 7:00pm BLUES COUNSEL, PHIL KEAGGY & AL PERKINS @ Puckett’s, Columbia, TN 7:00pm
PILLAR OF FIRE SHOWS “42” @ FlorenceLauderdale Public Library, Florence, AL 7:00pm HUNTSVILLE HAVOC VS. FAYETTEVILL FIREANTZ @ Von Braun Civic Center, Huntsville, AL 7:30pm KIMBRO’S FOGGY MINDED BLUEGRASS JAM @ Kimbro’s Café, Franklin, TN 8:00pm UNA BASKETBALL VS. DELTA STATE @ Flowers Hall, Florence, AL 8:00pm
FEBRUARY 21
ZOE WELCH & MICROWAVE DAVE @ Swampers Bar & Grille, Florence, AL 5:00pm SCOTT & HELEN HOYT @ Puckett’s, Columbia, TN 8:00pm DECLAN MCGARRY @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN 8:00pm HEIDI BURSON @ Kimbro’s Café, Franklin, TN 8:00pm KARAOKE @ Rattlesnake Saloon, Tuscumbia, AL
FEBRUARY 22
UNA BASEBALL VS. DELTA STATE @ Self Field, Florence, AL 1:00pm UNA BASKETBALL VS. CHRISTIAN BROTHERS
@ Flowers Hall, Florence, AL 3:00pm HUNTSVILLE HAVOC VS. MISSISSIPPI RIVERKINGS @ Von Braun Civic Center, Huntsville, AL 2:00pm BRAD PAISLEY, CHRIS YOUNG & DANIELLE BRADBERRY @ Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN 7:30pm SCOTT HOLT @ Puckett’s, Columbia, TN 8:00pm KIMBRO’S BLUES/FOLK/SOUL EXPLOSION FT. BRIAN JAMES BAND @ Kimbro’s Café, Franklin, TN 8:00pm MITCH MANN @ Swampers Bar & Grille, Florence, AL 9:00pm BASEMENT BURLESQUE @ Pegasus Records, Florece, AL LARRY VADEN @ Rattlesnake Saloon, Tuscumbia, AL
FEBRUARY 24
SHANE BAKER & CHRIS LUCAS @ Swampers Bar & Grille, Florence, AL 5:00pm IMAGINE DRAGONS @ Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN 7:30pm
Nashville, TN 7:00pm SMOOTH HOUND SMITH @ Kimbro’s Café, Franklin, TN 7:00pm LIVE TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN 7:00pm
FEBRUARY 25
FEBRUARY 28
FEBRUARY 23
WILL MCFARLANE, CHRISTIAN TURNER @ Swampers Bar & Grille, Florence, AL 5:00pm
UNA BASEBALL VS. DELTA STATE @ Self Field, Florence, AL 1:00pm PILLAR OF FIRE SHOWS “STORMY WEATHER” @ Florence-Lauderdale Public Library, Florence, AL 7:00pm
UNA BASEBALL VS. TREVECCA NAZARENE @ Self Field, Florence, AL 2:00pm MCKENZIE LOCKHART, JUSTIN HOLDER @ Swampers Bar & Grille, Florence, AL 5:00pm LIVE TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN 7:00pm UNA OAC RAIN BARREL CLINIC @ OAC, Florence, AL 7:00pm
FEBRUARY 26 FEBRUARY 27
JUSTIN BARNETT & BARRY BILLINGS @ Swampers Bar & Grille, Florence, AL 5:00pm NASHVILLE PREDATORS VS. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING @ Bridgestone Arena,
IF YOU HAVE ANY EVENTS YOU WOULD LIKE LISTED, EMAIL CALENDAR@GETSETMAG.COM
ARBOR DAY NEW MOON CAMPING TRIP BEGINS WITH UNA OAC, 3:00pm JACOB LOVELL WITH KRISTA SPARKS & ARCHIE HUBBARD @ Swampers Bar & Grille, Florence, AL 5:00pm HUNTSVILLE HAVOC VS. BLOOMINGTON THUNDER @ Von Braun Civic Center, Huntsville, AL 7:30pm MATT PRATER @ Puckett’s, Columbia, TN 8:00pm SAM HUNTER BAND @ Kimbro’s Café, Franklin, TN 8:00pm THE BORO BAND @ Gary’s Place, Spring Hill, TN 9:00pm KARAOKE @ Rattlesnake Saloon, Tuscumbia, AL
20 SPOTLIGHT
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SAY CHEESE!
SET READERS IN ACTION
PHOTOS BY JUSTIN ARGO, KAYLA SLOAN JAMES THIGPEN AND JARED MCCOY
FEBRUARY 2014
PHOTOS BY NAME AND NAME
GNARLY CHARLIES PEGASUS RECORDS, JANUARY 25, PHOTOS BY JUSTIN ARGO
GNARLY CHARLIES
BRETT BURGESS AND QUINN STANPHILL
JORDAN DEAN
RACHEL WAMMACK AND MARY BETH COATS
HANNAH ALDRIDGE
ALEX BERRY AND DJ INGRAM
SHELBY INGRAM AND NATHAN PUCKETT
FEBRUARY 2014
SPOTLIGHT 21
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FINLAND’S BLACK RIVER BLUESMAN 116 E MOBILE, JANUARY 18, PHOTOS BY JAMES THIGPEN
RED MOUTH
ALLIE RAPPUHN, KATHERINE THOMAS AND JESSICA MORGAN
NOELLE MARSHALL AND ERWIN HARPER
SETH HARBISON AND JUSTIN ARGO
FOLLOW APOLLO PEGASUS RECORDS, JANUARY 17, PHOTOS BY JARED MCCOY
FOLLOW APOLLO
TORI PEDEN AND SHAWNNA PERRYMAN
STATIC REVIVAL
ANNA GRACE USERY, RACHEL MILLER AND LACEY CHANEY
22 SPOTLIGHT
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FEBRUARY 2014
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MARCH UNA, JANUARY 17, PHOTOS BY KAYLA SLOAN
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MARCH
LESLIE CARTER, JADE GORDON, DANIEL THOMPSON, PARRISH TUGGLES AND DOMINIC SUMMERHILL
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MARCH
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MARCH
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MARCH
FEBRUARY 2014
SPOTLIGHT 23
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MISS UNA NORTON AUDITORIUM, JANUARY 25, PHOTOS BY JESSICA PAJARON
ERICA KELLY, MISS UNA 2014
BRITTANY JORDAN
DANIELLE PATTEN, 3RD RUNNER-UP
MEREDITH HAMNER
SAVANNAH JOHNSON
VICTORIA ROOSE, 2ND RUNNER-UP
WHITNEY BROWN
24 FOOD
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Cooking as a couple builds teamwork & communication.
FEBRUARY 2014
Only half of couples like the gifts they receive.
A NIGHT AT HOME SPEND THIS VALENTINE’S DAY WITH THE ONE YOU LOVE AT HOME FIXING THIS SIMPLE RECIPE. With Valentine’s Day falling on a Friday this year, restaurants and date-night venues are sure to be busy. If you want to avoid the crowd and try something a little different, why not stay in this year and cook a romantic dinner with the one you love? If you’re lost when it comes to creating a dinner menu, I’m here to help! Below is a simple, delicious menu that anyone can easily master. Bon appetit!
CHICKEN PARMESAN Ingredients: • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste • 2 eggs • 4 cups Panko bread crumbs (or make your own by putting day-old bread in the oven until extra crispy, then finely chop in a food processor) • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or more if needed • 1 cup olive oil for frying • 1/2 cup prepared tomato sauce • 1/4 cup fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil • 1/2 cup grated provolone cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese • 1 tablespoon olive oil Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 450F. 2. Place chicken breasts between two sheets of heavy plastic on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/2inch. For those without a meat mallet, a rolling pin or pan will suffice. Season chicken thoroughly with salt and pepper. 3. Beat eggs in a shallow bowl and set aside. 4. Mix bread crumbs and 1/2 cup Parmesan in a separate bowl, set aside. 5. Place flour in a sifter or strainer; sprinkle over chicken breasts, evenly coating both sides. 6. Dip flour coated chicken breasts in beaten eggs. Transfer chicken to breadcrumb mixture, pressing the crumbs into both sides. Set aside breaded chicken breasts for about 15 minutes. 7. Heat 1 cup olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Cook chicken until golden, about 2 minutes on each side (the chicken will finish cooking in the oven). 8. Place chicken in a baking dish
and top each breast with about 1/3 cup of tomato sauce. Layer each chicken breast with equal amounts of mozzarella cheese, fresh basil and provolone cheese. Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese on top and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. 9. Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is browned and bubbly, and chicken breasts are no longer pink in the center, 15 to 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165F. 10. Prepare your favorite pasta by boiling in a pot of salted water until al dente. Serve alongside the pasta
CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES Ingredients: • 1 pound (about 20) strawberries with stems, washed and dried very well • 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped.
2. Put the semisweet chocolate into heatproof medium bowls. 3. Fill medium saucepan with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. 4. Turn off the heat; set the bowls of chocolate over the water to melt. Stir until smooth. 5. Once the chocolates are melted and smooth, remove from the heat. 6. Line a sheet pan with parchment or waxed paper. Holding the strawberry by the stem, dip the fruit into the dark chocolate, lift and twist slightly, letting any excess chocolate fall back into the bowl. Set strawberries on the parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries. Let the strawberries sit aside for 30 minutes to set. *I suggest making this dessert before starting the chicken Set the table, light some candles, put on some nice music and enjoy this dinner with your lovely Valentine!
Directions:* 1. Rinse, but do not hull the strawberries. Drain and pat completely dry.
STORY BY ALEX RICHEY
FEBRUARY 2014
HEALTH 25
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2.5b people would die without synthetic fertilizer.
50% of the total world population, live in poverty.
FERTILIZER AIN’T SEXY
NOTHING IS MORE JOYOUS FOR THESE RWANDAN FARMERS THAN A HARVEST GREATER THAN THEY’D EVER IMAGINED.
BUT YOU AND EVERYBODY YOU KNOW – AND DON’T KNOW – NEEDS IT Last month, as I was enjoying my (fourth) coffee and reading the newly published SET at Rivertown Coffee in Florence, Ala., I came across the article “Cheap Eating is Cheating.” Well, to borrow one from the interwebs, it “really rustled my jimmies.” You see, I work for an international organization that, for the last 40 years, has worked to give poor farmers (usually living on less than $1/day) access to the tools they need to have decent and productive lives and balance providing for their families with investing in their farms. So, when I came across, “[T]he dilemma ultimately boils down to farmers eventually not being able to grow enough food to feed the over 7 billion people in the world. However, we don’t have that problem right
now…” Yeah. Rustled jimmies. Here’s why: in the next 35 years, the world population will increase by at least 2 billion people (more than the population of China). To feed that amount of people, we will have to grow 70 percent more food on the same amount of land (yeah, we’re running out of that) and, as Bill Gates said in a recent interview, if we stopped using chemical fertilizers, more than 2.5 billion people would have to starve (for all of you nerds, I’m also using the Canadian polymath Vaclav Smil as a source). Let me be clear. We do “have that problem right now.” Am I saying we should use massive amounts of fertilizers? No way! Besides the cost of that, we already see the environment struggling because of our nitrogen (air fertilizer) and phosphorus (rock fertilizer) overuse. Let’s start with a quick history lesson: just across the river, TVA developed 80 percent of the fertilizer technology used around the world, but they stopped developing new technology 40 years ago because they had developed cheap, effective fertilizer products that had brought America out of the dust bowl and increased world food production to help combat the food and oil crises of the 1970’s. But we didn’t completely solve the problem; it was more like a Band-Aid on a festering wound. Since the end of TVA’s program, fertilizer industry investment in new technology is about 0.1 percent of yearly revenues.
Other industries, such as the medical industry, are investing up to 30 percent. The result of this low investment: inefficient and environmentally unsound fertilizers. The Band-Aid has come off. So, we have to approach this problem in a new way. Here are some options: 1. Let’s all be vegetarians/not use fertilizers. Completely organic food production would be almost enough for us all to be vegetarians — yes, some people will still starve, but at least we feel good about ourselves, right? By 2050, though, more and more people will be going hungry. And forget about the beef/poultry industries. They’ll be gone — along with fast food and biofuel. There just wouldn’t be enough grain to go around. 2. Okay, well, let’s use more fertilizer. If African farmers used as much fertilizer as Chinese farmers, their yields would increase enough so that — considering transportation issues — everybody could be fed (and still eat meat!). Problem is, Chinese farmers use way too much fertilizer. Plants don’t take up everything put in the ground (including antibiotics and heavy metals), so out of all that nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium we put in the ground, only about 20-30 percent is taken up by a plant. Current fertilizers just aren’t efficient.
3. So maybe let’s just rethink everything. You saw it coming. We must rethink the way we grow food. Like it or not, this will include using modified seeds, safer and more organic pesticides and herbicides and improved farming techniques that combine organic and inorganic fertilizers. We can also look at biological ways of fertilizing plants. What’s awesome is there’s already a research center in Washington, D.C. that’s working on these things. If we help smallholder farmers grow more food cheaper, international revenues will increase, allowing developing nations to build roads and other infrastructure to get farmers and consumers everything they need cheaper and faster. Cheap eating doesn’t have to be cheating. It is part of our healthier future. Improving global agriculture lowers food prices, helps impoverished farmers and provides nutritious diets for even the poorest in the world. Think about it. Read both sides of the issue. As President Obama said, “Fertilizer [ain’t] sexy,” but we’re in for a difficult few decades, so wise up! Together we can help bring about global food security.
STORY BY JAMES THIGPEN
26 MOVIES
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75% of Mean Girls’ audience has been female.
FEBRUARY 2014
The Conjuring netted $41.5m opening weekend.
HE SAW / SHE SAW TWO GROUPS FORCED TO WATCH MOVIES THEY WOULD NEVER CHOOSE FOR THEMSELVES. Have you ever been forced by a friend or relative to sit through a movie or a TV show? If so, you will definitely be able to relate to this silly, social experiment. Let me first explain how this will work. Participating in this experiment will be two groups of three. One group consists of Austin Smith, Robby Thompson and Chase Wise or —
as I like to call them — the dudes. The gals group includes Anna Leigh Rossi, Sarah Ann Keeter and Kekoria Greer. These brave individuals have volunteered to watch a movie that the other group chose for them, no matter what it is. While each group watches their selected movie, I will simply observe and record the group’s reactions. Let’s begin!
N IPAD AIR. A IN W , S E IK L T S O M GET THE
THE GALS WATCH “THE CONJURING” Upon careful and strategic deliberation, the dudes selected “The Conjuring,” a popular horror movie that was released in the summer of 2013. The premise of “The Conjuring” involves a pair of paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren, working to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse. Sounds interesting enough! Before I begin with the gals, let me just say something: “The Conjuring” is seriously one of the scariest movies I’ve ever seen. I had a hard time watching the group’s reactions because I had my hands over my eyes for half the movie. That being said, I
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was able to see that the guys selected a great movie for the experiment. Throughout the movie I saw tears and heard constant screaming and shrieking, half of which belonged to me. I even saw Kekoria get up and attempt to run out of the room. “Normally scary movies just rely on the scary parts to keep the viewer interested, but in “The Conjuring,” the plot was just as good as the scares. Hearing two consecutive claps will scare me forever.” – Anna Leigh Rossi “Scary movies never really get to me, but this one got me! I tried to do things to take my mind off it, so I started live tweeting quotes from the movie.” – Kekoria Greer “I had the worst time during this movie. I literally cried watching it.” – Sarah Ann Keeter
THE DUDES WATCH “MEAN GIRLS” The gal’s elected to go a more feminine route by selecting the ever-popular chick flick from 2004, “Mean Girls.” Played by actress Lindsey Lohan, Cady Heron finds herself hanging out with “The Plastics,” the A-list girl clique at her new school, until
she makes the mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels, the ex-boyfriend of alpha Plastic Regina George. While “Mean Girls” is one of my favorite movies to watch with a group of people, I felt as if I was part of the experiment myself. Watching this chick flick with only three other guys was kind of strange. At times the group caught themselves laughing and quickly trying to cover it up. I even heard a couple of comments
throughout in regards to one of the girls being catty. Overall, even if they don’t want to admit it, the guys seemed as if they enjoyed it. “I always wear pink on Wednesdays. What a coincidence! And if that’s how friends treat each other, I’m glad I’ve never had any!” – Robby Thompson “… Do girls really have a burn book?” – Chase Wise “One thing that can make this
funny for guys is the fact that it is basically the stereotype of high school girls that we all already had in mind. I think we can all really relate with Gretchen Wieners.” – Austin Smith
STORY BY MATT JONES
28 SPECIAL FEATURE
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Of 25 freedom suits filed, one resulted in freedom
A Dred Scott plaque can be found at River Heritage Park.
THE LEGACY OF DRED SCOTT
FOR YEARS HE GOT THE RUN-AROUND, BUT HE EVENTUALLY TURNED THIS COUNTRY AROUND.
HOW ONE MAN’S DETERMINATION CHANGED THE ENTIRE NATION It is well-known that the Shoals area is rich in history and that many historical figures once called it home. As we celebrate Black History Month, we would like to highlight the life of one man who once called Florence his home and whose fight for freedom, at times, has gone unnoticed. Dred Scott was born into slavery in the late 1700s to Peter Blow. Originally from Virginia, the Blow family moved
to Florence, Alabama in 1820, only two years after it was founded, to begin work in the hotel business. In 1827, Blow opened the Peter Blow Inn, which was located close to where the parking deck is in downtown Florence today, at the corner of West Tennessee and Pine Streets (you can find a historical marker near this corner). Scott was the inn’s hostler, the person who looked after the horses of people
staying at the inn. The inn was a very popular place for travelers, but as time moved on business declined and Blow decided to move to St. Louis, Missouri in 1830. In the early 1830s, Blow died and Scott was sold to Dr. John Emerson, a doctor in the army. Over the next several years, while working for Dr. Emerson, Scott lived in both Illinois and the Wisconsin Territory, which were both free jurisdictions. Slavery was illegal in those places and, technically, Scott could have been declared free, however he did not petition for his freedom at that time, either because he didn’t know they were free states or because he was happy staying with Dr. Emerson. In 1838 Scott met and fell in love with Harriet Robinson, a teenage slave of Major Lawrence Taliaferro. Taliaferro, also a justice of the peace, performed their wedding ceremony and ownership of Robinson was transferred to Dr. Emerson so Scott and his wife could be together. The Scotts continued to work for Dr. Emerson and his wife, frequently being rented out to families as a source of income for the Emersons. Because Dr. Emerson was in the army, the families moved around a lot, but ended up in St. Louis, Missouri, which was not a free state. When Dr. Emerson died suddenly in December 1843, Dred Scott offered to purchase his family’s freedom from Mrs. Emerson, but she refused. Her decisions were likely due to the influence of her proslaveryminded father, who she was living with at the time, as well as the income she was receiving from renting them out. In April 1846, Dred and Harriet Scott both filed petitions in suits against Mrs. Emerson in the St. Louis Circuit Court to obtain their freedom. According to their petitions, they were entitled freedom due to their previous residencies in the free state of Illinois and the Wisconsin Territory. The case was brought to trial in 1847 and the judge ruled against Scott because he had no witnesses. However, since some of the evidence was considered hearsay, Scott was granted a retrial. It was decided by a Missouri jury that Dred and Harriet Scott be granted their freedom due to the fact
that they were slaves during extended residency in free jurisdictions. Despite the decision of the jury, Mrs. Emerson appealed and the court ruled in her favor. Scott continued to fight for his freedom and took his case to federal court; however the courts were still against him. In March 1857, the case was brought to the United States Supreme Court where Scott was once again denied his freedom and was kept in possession of Irene Emerson. The opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court, which became known as the Dred Scott Decision, was that Negroes were not citizens of the United States and had no right to sue in a federal court. Throughout the 10 years of battling the court for freedom, Scott had been receiving financial aid from the Blows, the family of his previous owner. After the Supreme Court denied Scott and his wife their freedom, Mrs. Emerson agreed to sell them back to the Blows because she was now the wife of an anti-slavery congressman (all that time fighting only to sell them for $750). It is still unknown why the Blows were adamant in helping the Scotts so much, but after the purchase they granted Dred and Harriet Scott their freedom in 1857. After fighting for over 10 years, Scott was able to enjoy his freedom with his wife and two children for only nine months. He passed away on September 17, 1858. The influence of Dred Scott brought about one of the most groundbreaking decisions ever made by Congress, the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which was added in 1868. The amendment declares “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” Though Scott only lived in Florence for 10 years working as a stable boy, it’s amazing that someone who fought so hard to change this country for the better has walked the same paths as you and I.
STORY BY JEREMY JACKSON
30 FREESTYLE
PHOTO BY KAYLA SLOAN
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ONE FINAL THOUGHT
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MARCH UNA, JANUARY 17
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