VOLUME 03 ISSUE 04 APRIL 2015
GREEN ACRES IS THE PLACE FOR ME
SO FRESH AND SO GREEN-GREEN
YOU CAN’T DO THAT ON TELEVISION
2 TABLE OF CONTENTS
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APRIL 2015
APRIL 2015
TABLE OF CONTENTS 3
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...DUE TO THEIR BRIGHT CLOTHING CONTRASTED WITH THEIR AGRARIAN LIFESTYLE, THEY WERE SOMETIMES CALLED “TECHNICOLOR AMISH.” LIFE ON THE FARM, P10 FEEDBACK
LETTER
LET’S HEAR IT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
FROM THE EDITOR
#FRIENVY SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE GREENMONSTER THAT STALKS US ALL. . . 5
GOIN’ GREEN FOR THE GREEN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AND FINANCIALLY SAVVY. . . . . . . . 6
GREEN LIVIN’ Everything is blooming! In the words of George: it’s been a long, cold, lonely winter, y’all. But it seems we’ve finally shaken off all of winter’s chill and can move on to beauteous spring. Of course, being in the South, we’re likely to skip spring and do a swan dive straight into the sweaty mess of summer. To commemorate the sun finally coming out and doing its job for once (geez), I’d like to present you with the “Green” issue. Being green is always something that I’ve cared about. I believe we have to protect what’s around us and live responsibly with the environment. While I don’t have solar panels on my house (it’s a rental, man), I believe that making conscious, everyday decisions can really make long-term contributions to the environment. Hopefully, after reading some of this issue, you’ll feel the same way. Here we have more than just your garden-variety stories about living green: we’ve got a DIY project, a carbon footprint quiz, fertilizer, slime, Kermit and envy. We’ve even got a (mostly) full story about The Farm in Summertown, Tennessee. So read on and get green! You, reader, are holding SET magazine — a Listerhill Credit Union publication made entirely by and for you. That’s right, we want to be your voice. We range across a variety of topics from tech and music to movies and special features. Every month we focus on a key word or idea that ties the
WAKE UP AND SMELL THE DIRT AWARENESS GOES A LONG WAY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
LIFE ON THE FARM PAST AND FUTURE OF THE HIPPY FARM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-13
IT CAME FROM CANADA! THE STRANGE LIFE OF NICKELODEON’S GREEN SLIME . . . . . . . . . 15
SO FRESH, SO GREEN FOUR ARTISTS. FOUR ALBUMS. FOUR OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE THE LOCAL SCENE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
THE NEW ESSENTIAL content together. And that content? It all comes from you! If after reading this issue you feel inspired to contribute your voice to our publication, come on in! Simply visit our website or email me directly at editor@getsetmag.com, and I’ll get you started. We have a great team of contributors, and I think you’ll enjoy writing for us! Plus, we pay you. So there’s that. Also, if you or someone you know has a knack for photography, send them my way! I’m always looking for good photographers. Be sure to let us know what you think: follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and let me know how you think we’re doing! Without your voice, we can’t grow. But now, stop reading. Turn the page. This part is over.
BY ANDY THIGPEN, EDITOR
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
part of its ongoing mission to promote the credit union philosophy of cooperation and financial literacy. It is a platform for 15-20 somethings in the community and it is free.
HOW THE NEWEST HEALTH TREND OUT THERE IS AN OLD ONE. . . . 17
A BETTER CUT OF MEAT COTTONWOOD FARMS OPENS GATES IN TUSCUMBIA . . . . . . . . . . 19
CALENDAR WHAT’S GOING ON HERE? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-21
IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN EMBRACING A POSITIVE SELF IMAGE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
SPOTLIGHT SET READERS IN ACTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-27
LIVING A LEGACY YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERNCE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
FIRE AND ICE TURN YOUR TRASH INTO ECO-FRIENDLY TREASURES. . . . . . . . . . 29
FREESTYLE WHAT SIZE IS YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
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4 CONTRIBUTORS
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SET CONTRIBUTORS ANDY WALLACE Madison, AL
PAIGE MCCAY
Locust Fork, AL
ALLIE SOCKWELL
Lawrenceburg, TN
ANDY THIGPEN Florence, AL
CALEB BILLINGS Sheffield, AL
AMANDA AREOSTATICO Florence, AL
KALI DANIEL
Murfressboro, TN
ALEX RICHEY
Russellville, AL
SARAH EMERSON Hamilton, AL
COURTNEY TULLY Rogersville, AL
ALEXANDRIA TERRELL ROBERT BROCK COBLE Rogersville, AL
Florence, AL
DALLAS MOORE
Savannah, TN
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TECH 5
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Instagram is the fastest growing social network.
93% of teens use the Internet, according to the Pew Research Center
40% of cellphone users use a social media app.
#FRIENVY
U JELLY?
SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE GREEN MONSTER THAT STALKS US ALL We’ve all posted selfies. But have you ever posted a braggie? C’mon. You know what I’m talking about. It’s that perfect (or perfectly edited) shot that at least part of you hopes will make everyone that sees it envy you. I, of course, would never do such a thing, and I’m sure you wouldn’t either. But we’ve all seen someone else do it. One survey conducted last year by hotels. com reported that 1 in 10 people admit to posting pictures to social media just to poke the green monster of envy in their friends. We all want and need approval, and social media helps us share our lives with friends and family. But, for most of us, there comes a point when it feels more like competition than sharing and supporting. A University of Michigan study declares “Facebook
Use Predicts Declines in Subjective Well-Being in Young Adults.” My translation: looking at all my friends’ or second cousin’s, brother’s, girlfriend’s, dog’s perfect profiles, might make me feel worse about my own reality. A friend of mine quipped that the Facebook group where we talk shop was like a cold sore inside of his mouth. He pokes it with his tongue every five minutes just to see if it’s still there even though it hurts every time. I was curious what others thought so I decided to ask around…on Facebook, of course. I started with three sisters. “It’s usually impossible to see what people are really like from their profiles and news feeds,” UNA student Amy Wallace said. “I tend to just assume that people only post what they want you to see online. To avoid building
an image of someone completely by what I see about them online, I tend to never take anyone seriously. It makes me a bit suspicious I guess.” “I tend to be a realist so it’s less jealousy or envy but more questioning the validity of others’ statements,” said Grace Wallace, the youngest of the three and a junior in high school. “I have to confess that sometimes I try to subtly brag.” Joy Wallace, also a UNA student and the oldest of the three, seemed especially frustrated. “People tend to babble about their own lives,” she said. “Sometimes I just yell at the screen ‘I don’t care!’ or ‘seriously!’” The problem isn’t confined to any particular geography either. William Pitcher chimed in from Amsterdam, New York. “Social media allows us to create for ourselves a fantasy world wherein others see us as we might like to be seen...and then we start to believe it ourselves,” he said. Then he rattled off an old song “‘I’ve got a story for you, and I swear that it’s true, ‘cuz I made it up myself and I don’t lie.’ That about sums up social media profiles.” Doug Smalley, another out-oftowner, pointed out that “many
people get ‘keyboard courage’; that is, are more likely to make negative statements they wouldn’t make in person.” I think Doug is probably right. And “keyboard courage” doesn’t just make it easier to say mean stuff. There a lot of things that we might be more prone to do from the safe distance of the Web, including salivate (or foam) over someone else’s edited, curated life. In case you’re starting to look like the Grinch just reading this and thinking about all the perfect smiles stacking up in your news feed right now, here are some thoughts from the sisters that might help. With tongue only slightly in cheek, Amy said, “Whenever I feel a twinge of jealousy, I console myself by thinking that they can’t possibly have it as good as they say, and they are just showing off.” Joy’s comfort comes from the same source as her frustration. “Social media seems to be superficial,” she said. Is that really comforting? Yes! The truth is, we expect too much out of this medium. It should relieve us to remember that it’s not fair to measure ourselves or anyone else by social media activity. We can share and enjoy the highlights as long as we realize that we can’t really share life through retro filters and emojis. Envy can still pop up in real life, but it’s a lot easier to put in its place when we’re actually face to face with someone we care about, someone we can laugh and cry with, someone who is more than just a profile. Perhaps Grace had the most practical advice of all. “I often remind myself that I don’t have to be like someone else to be happy or fulfilled. And moderation is key. Keeping yourself away from the Internet for a day every so often is healthy.” How do you keep your online attitude healthy? Comment on Facebook or Twitter with #Frienvy.
STORY BY ANDY WALLACE
6 MONEY
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Every hour, Americans toss 25,000,000 plastic bottles.
15-30% OF A HOME’S TOTAL HEATING AND COOLING ENERGY IS LOST THROUGH POORLY SEALED DUCTWORK.
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Recycling 1 aluminum can would run a TV for 3 hours.
GOIN’ GREEN FOR THE GREEN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AND FINANCIALLY SAVVY
4. RECYCLE CURBSIDE
Take those empty cans and bottles and put them to use! Recyclebank. com will give you points for every item you recycle, and the points can be redeemed for discounts at all of your favorite stores. Pretty great incentive for recycling!
5. CHECK YOUR APARTMENT/ HOUSE FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS
The idea of going green is to be environmentally friendly and to help cut back on energy use. Besides simple things like flipping off the lights after leaving a room, unplugging your chargers and turning off the TV, there are major ways that energy could be escaping in your home. Most homes can benefit from improvements for efficiency: check to make sure your place isn’t leaking air. By caulking cracks, adding insulation and sealing windows, you can save up to 10 percent on heating and cooling costs, according to Good Housekeeping magazine. Home improvements can cut down your monthly energy bills while making your living space more comfortable and energy efficient.
PSA: MONEY DOES NOT GROW TREES. THANK YOU, THAT IS ALL. “Going green” is a phrase commonly heard in today’s world. Being green means being environmentally friendly and making choices that will help the Earth, not hurt it. Besides helping our environment by reducing pollution or energy use, going green can also save you money. In fact, in some instances, it can even make you money! We’ve researched some of the easiest ways to both save and make money while being Earth-friendly, and it’s actually not as hard as you might think.
1. BYOB (BRING YOUR OWN BAG)
Think about the number of times you go to the grocery store over the course of a year. Every store visit means more plastic bags you’re obtaining (and probably tossing out right afterward). Plastic bags end up in landfills and endanger wildlife. Bringing your own
reusable grocery sacks can really cut down on plastic waste; in fact, many grocery stores (specifically Target) even offer $0.05 off your total purchases for each bag you bring in and use. Over a year, this can add up. Every little bit helps, right? Ask your local grocery store cashier about bring-your-own-bag discounts at checkout to find out if you can save! Tip: try to keep your reusable bags in your car at all times for any last minute grocery trips. If you do forget, be sure to reuse the plastic bags for trash bags or other uses. Playing off this same idea, Starbucks offers a discount of $0.10 when you bring in your own reusable coffee mug. If you buy a coffee for each weekday, this adds up to roughly $2.00 a month and $24.00 a year!
2. RECYCLE ELECTRONICS FOR $
If you have old phones, computers,
laptops, desktop computers, tablets or other electronics lying around, you’re in luck. By using paid collection companies such as YouRenew.com and BuyMyTronics.com, you cannot only properly dispose of your e-waste, but also receive money for each item. The sites will mail you a check for the valued amount of your old technology. Pretty sweet deal!
3. SELLING/DONATING YOUR USED CLOTHING
25.5 billion pounds of useable textiles are thrown away each year, resulting in a lot of preventable waste, according to epa.gov. Donate your old clothing to charities or, if you prefer, try and sell them through consignment stores (try Second Time Around in Columbia, Tennessee or Fashion Exchange in Florence, Alabama). Make some extra change and help the environment just by cleaning out your closet!
Ultimately, you can choose each day to be more environmentally conscious just by the simple decisions you are faced with. Choosing to carpool or take public transportation will cut down on gas and put out fewer pollutants into the air we breathe. Making your own cleaning products out of nontoxic ingredients like lemon and baking soda can save you money on pricy cleaners while cutting back on plastic and chemical emission. Being eco-friendly is important for our quality of life as well as future generations. Goin’ green is an easy choice to make with positive results for your wallet and Mother Earth!
STORY BY ALLIE SOCKWELL
APRIL 2015
MONEY 7
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8 NONPROFIT
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805 million people are chronically hungry.
70% of fertilizers in use today were developed in the Shoals.
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Follow @IFDCNews on Twitter.
WAKE UP AND SMELL THE DIRT AWARENESS GOES A LONG WAY The Shoals area is one of those places in the world that has many old gems and quiet secrets. One of those secrets happens to be thriving in an old gray building in Muscle Shoals that looks like a nuclear bunker with windows. The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), may not seem like the most exciting place, but there is a world of growth happening inside its doors. Established in 1974, IFDC is a nonprofit with a mission on worldwide agricultural sustainability. By working with farmers in over 30 countries, they are trying to set up ways that those farmers can produce much better food more efficiently. Actually, by educating farmers and implementing sustainable systems all over their world, their main goal is to not exist. “In our strategic plan we say our goal is to not have to exist anymore,” James Thigpen, IFDC’s communications specialist, said. “It’s great to have a job,” he laughed, “but we don’t want to have to exist forever. We have to create systems that are sustainable.” While sustainable systems and research and development are their main games, they have another objective that affects us at home more directly: awareness. I met with a few young employees there who said the awareness they have gained from working at IFDC has directly impacted their views of the world. “I think part of it is that everything is interrelated,” Courtney Greene said. Courtney is an editor and writer and works with media relations. “I mean, food prices in Africa affect food prices
AN AGRONOMIST INSPECTS BARLEY IN KYRGYZSTAN. here. We’re not all in our individual locations. It’s helping me understand the global nature of agriculture, food security. How something across the world can affect us here.” For Thigpen, being aware of global agricultural situations has very real effects here at home. “It changes your actions,” he said. “Your perspective of the world changes your daily routine… every now and then I’ll get that twinge, like, crap, the people that I write about maybe can’t even imagine what it’s like to walk into a store and everything you could ever want to eat is at your fingertips for a low price.” “I think I had a little different view on it,” Job Fugice said. Fugice is a senior analyst and analytical service coordinator who works in the IFDC labs doing soil analysis. He’s from Brazil and said that poverty was close by — or, so he thought. “I thought I knew what [poverty] was until I actually got to go to Africa two or three years ago, and then I thought, ‘OK, we’re two completely different worlds
here.’ Fugice described barren mud hut houses and all-night electrical blackouts starting at 6 p.m. in Arusha, Tanzania. What he learned was gratitude. “What IFDC has brought to me is that we don’t know what’s going on, a lot of times, outside of what we do everyday,” he said. “And a lot of those things we take for granted, and we just don’t realize how important they are.” So what can we do to be more aware and raise awareness? IFDC is a nonprofit, but it’s not a place where anyone can just volunteer time. One thing, Greene suggested, is to get loud on IFDC’s social media. “It really does help spread the word,” Greene said. “If more people know about us and the things we are doing and agriculture in general, eventually all of that knowledge gets to people who will give us money.” “It spurs government involvement,” Thigpen said. “Another thing is, too, you can learn a lot even just interning here. We offer internships in almost all of our
departments… if someone called up here, we could find some work for them to do, honestly.” But, the main thing is waking people up to their own lifestyle choices. “I think being aware is the first step,” he said. “From there, you don’t have to be on the farm to make a difference. You don’t have to be out in the middleof-nowhere Mali to make a difference there. It’s really a lifestyle involvement rather than going and volunteering some hours.” Because, really, we’re really all in it together. “I think it’s important for people to know that, because as a planet we need each other,” he said. “We have to have each other. Those who are more fortunate owe it to those who are less fortunate, in a way, to create sustainability for the entire planet.”
STORY BY ANDY THIGPEN
STORY BY ANDY THIGPEN
EXPLORING THEN, NOW AND TOMORROW AT THE HIPPY FARM
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Almost all of the homes on The Farm use solar power.
MUSHROOM PEOPLE is a mail order mushroom grower on The Farm.
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Houses made from earth are called Earthships.
The rain came drizzling down, and the flat sky stretched onward down the highway. We were on our way to Summertown, Tennessee, and we had no clue what to expect. Our destination was The Farm — an old hippy commune turned cooperative dedicated to living ethically and spiritually in society and nature. For the next three days we met many people, young and old, newcomers and member of the “Old Guard,” who shaped and continue to shape the identity of The Farm. Our job was to figure out exactly what that means. One thing was for sure: Justin Argo, the photographer, had put together a stellar playlist to get our auras burning bright, our chakras aligned and the feet of our souls tapping: Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Zeppelin (“III,” of course) and the quintessential Grateful Dead. Every story has a beginning, and ours begins in San Francisco.
The Roots of the Farm It all started with Monday Night Class. Stephen Gaskin was an English professor / spiritual guru. Every Monday night, he and his students would meet and talk about things ranging from religion to English language to metaphysics. Soon after starting the class, the number of students grew exponentially. The idea of beginning an intentional community was something that had been mentioned before, but the necessity of starting one wasn’t evident until Gaskin and his caravan went on a nationwide speaking tour. They needed to get out and find a place where they could carry out their beliefs and be dedicated to the Buddhist idea of “right livelihood.” “We sort of threw a dart and came up with Tennessee,” Phil Schweitzer, a member of the original caravan, said. They moved to Nashville and spent some time in a park where
people used to drive by and look at them. Eventually, due to some happy chances, they found land for $70 an acre and settled right outside of Summertown, Tennessee in 1971 on what was now called “The Farm.” “We were immediately the circus,” Pete Schweitzer, Phil’s brother, said. “Nobody knew what the heck we were about, and so a lot of our thing was trying to put people at ease, ya know — we’re peaceful, we’re unarmed, we’re not that strange. We’re fine with Jesus, which was one of the biggest issues around here.” The locals, though wary at first, soon grew to respect the hippies on The Farm — due to their bright clothing contrasted with their agrarian lifestyle, they were sometimes called “Technicolor Amish.” The Farm began as a commune: everyone took oaths of poverty and no one owned anything that was his or her
GASKIN'S MONDAY NIGHT CLASSES ATTRACTED HUNDREDS OF HIPPIES.
own. Any money made or inherited went into the pot, and the food they grew or bought was all rationed out equally. All of them were vegetarians. It should be mentioned that these people weren’t the “free love” type of hippies that are romanticized today. While some couples did try group marriages (marriages of two or more couples together), everyone was monogamous. According to Phil, Gaskin had a strict rule: “if you’re sleeping together, you’re engaged. If you’re pregnant, you’re married.” Also, while smoking marijuana was considered to be a religious sacrament on The Farm, they only ever grew it once — and they got caught. Gaskin was sent to jail for a while, and they never grew it again. Everyone I talked to would readily admit to taking LSD more than once in the 60s, but the prevalence of drugs on The Farm seems almost nonexistent. These people were here to work, to create a life for themselves and their communal family. The communal system they had set up worked reasonably well, but it soon became unmanageable. What started as a few hundred hippies on The Farm grew to a staggering 1,500 permanent residents, plus an extra 10,000 visitors per year. “What caused the farm to turn into a co-op as opposed to a commune, more than anything, was economic,” Phil said. “Had we not had so much difficulty managing that many people with so little cash flow, I think it could have stayed in a communal kind of format.” After an altercation with Gaskin, the board of directors made the decision to transition into a cooperative in 1983. This is known colloquially as the Changeover. In the co-op system,
the land was still owned collectively by every member of The Farm, but residents now had to pay monthly dues and provide for themselves instead of getting rations from a pile. The whole process was described by some as a “messy divorce.” Eventually, however, things settled down. Today, with around 180 residents, The Farm is completely debt free and thriving in its own quiet way.
Part I:
OF HOBBITATS AND HOMES
On a rainy day in March, The Farm didn’t seem hospitable. All of the buildings appeared deserted. There was no movement. A dull, brown meadow stretched out to our left as we drove along the paved road. We decided to head down to the Eco Village Training Center to find Jason Deptula. We parked in front of a garage with a sign that said “Resorcerer’s Laboratory” where we saw a few people standing around. Deptula, the Resorcerer, wore a ski cap and a big, dirty-blonde beard. I shook his hand, which was black from working on an electric golf cart. He is the facilities manager and alternative energy teacher at the Ecovillage Training Center, and he, along with some friends and new residents, gave us a tour. I have to say from the beginning that the Ecovillage Training Center was my favorite part of The Farm. Here, they teach people how to adopt a truly green lifestyle by implementing permaculture and natural building. “Natural building: it’s how to build
APRIL 2015
FEATURE 11
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Over 500,000 people attended Woodstock.
HEATHER MCDOWELL ADMIRES SOME GREENERY. a house without having to go to Home Depot,” Deptula said. Permaculture is a bit more complicated. “[Permaculture] is a design science that you design accordingly that you’re working with nature, not against it,” he said. “So nature has a way of doing things, and if you understand that and comprehend it, apply and build your stuff around those ways, then you’re
Over 10,000 U.S. homes are powered by solar energy. working with nature to get the yields you want.” Permaculture includes things like planting certain plants close to each other for protection or maximum yields. It also includes a system Deptula is working on which will take gray water from sinks or showers and use plants, rocks and earth to clean it before it goes back into the ecosystem. After hacking some bamboo with a machete (because that’s just what you do), we continued on. Deptula introduced us to the “shouthouse” — a combination solarpowered shower and composting outhouse. Composting outhouse? Yes, slowly, with time and a bit of wood shavings, you too can make a contribution to the earth. “It’s waste, but don’t waste the waste,” Will Bates said. Bates is the son of the founder of the Ecovillage Training Center who was out of the country. What had me floored, however, were the earth roofs. We walked over to a small hut made completely out of clay. “Those are hippytats,”
he said. “I’m going to start calling them hobbitats.” Indeed, it looks like something Bilbo might live in. It was short and squat with a rocky base and had a thick layer of earth, moss and grass on the roof. This layer, Deptula explained, is the air conditioner. “As the plants are breathing, they’re exhaling, they’re evaporating moisture. That’s what air conditioners do,” he said. “So what we have is a natural air conditioning system that requires no inputs from us except for to make sure than the roof doesn’t completely dry out. So the one thing you’d have to do in a drought is water your roof.”
Part II:
THE FARM SCHOOL
A bit overwhelmed already from the Eco Village, we set off for the school. As I walked in, a boy rollerbladed toward me. A girl was trying her luck on a skateboard. Others
were running through the main hall. Most of them were barefoot, and one of the teachers was too. Could you expect anything else? The principal is Peter Kindfield, a man with curly gray hair, day-old stubble and a yin yang earring. From the beginning, I can tell that he is deeply invested in his job, and that he has great respect for the children he teaches. “The focus of the school is sort of twofold: one is that we want everyone to be able to develop their own unique path through life, so we treat every individual as a totally unique individual,” he said. “And that we want everybody to learn how to come together and to create a whole greater than the sum of its parts and be able to put our differences together.” “We have a very rich curriculum but our primary goal is really helping kids discover who they are and become the best version of themselves that they can,” he added. Despite being labeled as a “hippy school,” he said, people are often surprised at how rigorous the curriculum is. When a student transfers out to public school, the student often has much higher math and science scores than the public school students. The Farm School is an alternative school, and in Kindfield’s ideas, it’s easy to hear remnants of the counterculture. His feelings, however, come from years of experience. Kindfield has a Ph.D. and M.A. in math, science education and an M.A. in educational psychology, all from “Bezerkley,” as he calls it. After working with the New York City public school system for a while, he saw exactly how he didn’t want to teach. “My belief is that public education has not only evolved, but it’s designed to create passive consumers and producers, and we’re trying to battle that as much as possible,” he said. “One of the design features of public school systems is to limit physical activity to get people used to sitting on their asses for 8 hour days behind a desk, and, you know, we don’t have that.” They truly do not. During our conversation standing in the middle
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Gaskin, the Farm's founder, passed away last July.
of the hall, I was rustled and bumped by a few rollerblading children, and I almost stepped on another one. Fridays, he said, incorporate a lot more physical activity than usual. What’s interesting is the way the students and Kindfield address each other. In their tones, you can hear that they see each other as more or less equal. Kindfield, I assume, has the ultimate say, but the students don’t cower from him like I remember at school. “When I came here, I thought, ‘Oh! I’m going to be a curriculum innovator,’ and really the best thing I can think of that I did is that my title is ‘principal/ janitor.’ So we don’t have this class thing that the principal is this guy in a suit that shakes his finger.”
One of the students’ favorite games they play is called “Cops and Protesters.” The students, of course, get to be the cops.
Part III:
PLENTY TO GO AROUND
It’s hard to mention The Farm after my visit and not mention Plenty International. The hippies that came to Summertown in the caravan in 1971 were bent on developing an idealistic community that was sustainable and beneficial to society. But by the time 1974 came, they had already learned some skills and needed to move outward. “We were these idealistic hippies
APRIL 2015
Stephen Gaskin and Jerry Garcia were good friends.
coming out of San Francisco, going to save the word, so what are we gonna do besides make our community nice?” Pete, executive director of Plenty, said. They decided it needed to be a nonprofit, but they had no clue where it could go. It started small: delivering sweet potatoes and other produce to poor inner-city neighborhoods in Nashville and Memphis. It expanded farther to Birmingham, and even all the way north to Chicago. Tornadoes came through Alabama, and they came down to offer relief. Basically, anywhere they could be, there they were. In 1976, a massive earthquake struck Guatemala. At the time, The Farm was using ham radios, so they
heard the disaster happen live. They sent a team of builders down there that worked with the Canadian embassy to help rebuild homes and city infrastructure. Since its inception, Plenty has been involved with projects in over 19 countries ranging from permaculture education to ecotourism to disaster relief. But they’ve also worked at home: from launching a free ambulance service in the South Bronx in the late 70s to agriculture development on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. They were in New Orleans just three days after Katrina hit in 2005, and now they have Kids to the Country which focuses on bringing inner-city children out to the country
APRIL 2015
FEATURE 13
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Anyone can volunteer with Plenty International!
The Farm also had their own rock band.
JASON DEPTULA EXPLAINS HOW PLANTS CAN CLEAN OUR WASTE WATER. for nature hikes, horseback riding and to learn skills like teamwork and conflict resolution. “I think one of the most important things for this country is for people to see how other people live in the other parts of the world,” Pete said. “We’re really, really ignorant about our own history, and we’re really ignorant about world situations, which makes us uncompassionate … I’m all for people traveling — and not just sitting on the beach. Get out and do something. And there’s lots of opportunities to do stuff.”
Part IV:
THE FUTURE AND THE END
On Sunday morning, our last morning on The Farm, we had a delicious brunch and one last trip around The Farm. One thing I was interested in when I got to The Farm was what young people thought about The Farm and the future. What will happen to The Farm? What draws people to it, and will they want to stay? I caught up with Karuna Kindfield to find out. Karuna is the child of Peter Kindfield, the principal/janitor, and identifies as a-gender. Karuna prefers the pronouns they/them/their/theirs and said that their gender identity is a big reason why they love the farm so much.
“I love it here,” they said. “I’m incredibly grateful that I got to grow up here. I think it’s a really, really beautiful place, and you know, it fosters the tolerance and environment that I could identify as agendered and people could accept that.” Duma Davis also likes the nonjudgmental atmosphere, but she also liked it being a cultural hub. “I like how this is kind of a hub for people all over the world to come and share their knowledge of things, so you meet a lot of people and hear about a lot of things that you wouldn’t in normal society,” she said. Trevor Eustis and Laura Look feel the same way. “Been here five months, going on six. I have no intentions on leaving,” Eustis said. “As soon as we got here we fell in love with this place.” Eustis and Look are from Maine and had set out on a road trip last autumn. The road trip was supposed to last a year, but four days later they ended up at The Farm. “We wanted a road trip,” Look said, “but we wanted to find a place that we felt really at home, and that we would imagine ourselves settling down. And we immediately felt that here.” All of them share a common love for The Farm, and all of them agree on one thing: The Farm needs young people. “I definitely want more young people,” Davis said. “For a while I felt that it was going to go downhill, but
A STUDENT AT THE FARM SCHOOL SHOWS OFF SOMETHING FROM SCIENCE CLASS. now the 20 and 30-year-olds have a lot of ideas for making it more luscious – more gardens and farming – and I hope for that.” “I thought about leaving, but something’s just keeping me down here,” Forrest Cheney, a longtime Farm resident, said. “There’s a shortage of young people here. The people who founded The Farm are all getting older, and, ya know, all their kids moved away. There isn’t really that much young blood keeping things going, so I think I’m just sticking around to be a young face and somebody doing something.” As long as more inspired people like Look and Eustis keep coming, it seems that The Farm will last a long time. “There are people who aren’t gonna let it fall apart,” Look said. “I feel like
the younger people are attracting more younger people.” “Yeah,” Eustis agreed. “This place will keep flowing, I imagine. They will always be calling somebody here one way or another. I need to say, what is presented here is barely a scratch on the surface of what The Farm is and what it does. There’s simply not enough space. There’s still the world-renowned midwifery program, S.E. International which produces radiation detection products and software, the Book Publishing Company and the Swan Preservation Trust, just to name a few. The amount of work this community has done and continues to do is simply stunning. All I can do is tell you to go check it out for yourself. Who knows? You may never want to leave.
14 MOVIES
SET isn’t just a magazine looking for people to share their 2 cents. It is entirely comprised of content provided by the 15 - 29 year olds of our community. No one else writes the articles, no one else takes the pictures and no one else decides what runs. That’s why we need you. Attend our next editorial meeting, drop us a line or send us an idea for your story. We want your photography, art and music. Get on SET’s team.
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APRIL 2015
APRIL 2015
MOVIES 15
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Nickelodeon Studios once had a slime geyser.
Slime themed shampoo, cereal, & popsicles were real.
IT CAME FROM CANADA!
AVOIDING THE “SECRET SLIME ACTION” ON FIGURE IT OUT WAS ALWAYS A FUTILE EFFORT
THE STRANGE LIFE OF NICKELODEON’S GREEN SLIME Green slime. Those words for most children of the eighties or nineties bring back memories of watching Nickelodeon. Dropping green slime on people may be synonymous with Nickelodeon now, but they weren’t the ones who did it first. That accolade actually belongs to a Canadian sketch comedy show called “You Can’t Do That On Television” in 1979. The birth of green slime has an appropriately disgusting origin story. A sketch called for an unnamed gross substance to fall on a kid, so a crewmember threw together a mixture of food and water from the TV station’s cafeteria. Unfortunately
(or fortunately) the filming of the episode was delayed and by the time the sketch was shot the gross concoction had turned green. There was no time to replace it and the cast member just had to deal with moldy food falling on them. The response from the show’s audience was so positive that “sliming” became a recurring gag on all future episodes (using much safer recipes of course). Slime made the big jump to America when Nickelodeon started airing “You Can’t Do That On Television” in 1981. Kids in the U.S. grew to love slime so much that it took on a life of its own and became the symbol of the whole
Nickelodeon channel. From the 1990s through the early 2000s you could find Nickelodeon slime falling on gameshow contestants (“Double Dare”, “Figure It Out”, and “Slime Time Live”) and Hollywood celebrities (the “Kids’ Choice Awards”). The presence of slime on Nickelodeon declined in the late 2000s but has resurged thanks to several new gameshows including a revival of “Figure It Out”. While getting slimed may have started out as something to be avoided, it is now a gooey badge of honor. Over thirty years from when it willed itself to life in Canada, slime still manages to have a hold over
today’s kids and those who grew up with it. But, why? On the surface seems like a difficult question to answer, but perhaps it’s really not. Kids love things that are weird and gross. Slime epitomizes that aspect of childhood and the nostalgia we all have for it. As long as kids love the weird and gross, slime will continue to rain down on people for years to come.
STORY BY CALEB BILLINGS
16 MUSIC
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America produces over 75,000 albums annually.
APRIL 2015
Supporting local music helps the local economy.
SO FRESH, SO GREEN FOUR ARTISTS. FOUR ALBUMS. FOUR OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE THE LOCAL SCENE For those about to rock and those looking for fresh new tunes, several local artists have released albums, EPs and demos since the year began. Ranging from Christian to progressive and spanning from Muscle Shoals, Alabama to Nashville, Tennessee, check out these musicians at local venues, pick up their CDs and enjoy homegrown artistry.
rock,” Dear Prodigal relies on their soothing, seemingly other-worldly guitar/drum combo to relax, soothe or incite emotional connection. While each song comes with its own story, audience members can connect the melodies and driving force of the guitars to their own lives and spin their own tales. Dear Prodigal can be seen performing at venues ranging from bars and clubs in Nashville to the end. theatre on Pine Street in downtown Florence.
KRISTEN DUNN MUSCLE SHOALS, ALABAMA
After graduating from the University of North Alabama with a degree in communication arts, Kristen Dunn set out to produce her first EP, “Defined by You.” The EP released at The Mane Room in March. Despite graduating, Dunn remains in the area to perform with friends and sing at local churches. “I interned in Nashville this past summer and was going through a season of just figuring out who I was, what I wanted to say and do as a solo artist, and just really finding my identity in Christ instead of trying to please the masses,” Dunn said. “Out of that season came these songs. My goal is to give people permission to be different and who they truly are, and to find that in Christ, not by what other people expect or want.” A Christian artist, Dunn’s lyrics reflect her beliefs and the combination of poppy piano and harmonies give off a Natasha Bedingfield meets Sara Bareilles feel of positivity. Her anthemic choruses are memorable and thought provoking, and her vocals are seemingly untouched. Catch Kristen Dunn singing around Florence, Alabama and keep up with her musician Facebook page for surprise performances.
STRANGE WAVES FLORENCE, ALABAMA
The band members of Strange
LOST DOG STREET BAND CHAPEL HILL, TENNESSEE
STRANGE WAVES IS A MYRIAD OF SOUND AND STYLES. DON’T MISS THEM! Waves sought a direction away from the metal they typically played. Their first album, “Walls,” debuted Feb. 28 and documents the band’s journey over the last three years. “We wanted to be able to explore more emotions and sounds than metal had allowed us to do,” said bassist Joseph Whitehead. “The songs on the album grew up with us over the last few years. They are the chronicles of us growing as band. We tried to experiment with as many forms of rock music as we could. We really wanted to explore every mood and feeling that any human feels.” Strange Waves’ indie rock sound combines harmonic vocals with pumpy drums and rhythmic guitars to bounce listeners through their journey. Songs like “Images” include folk-style vocals with a smooth, swaying rhythm that quickly reverts to a catchy chorus.
Since their release, the band performed at March’s First Friday in downtown Florence. Keep up with the band’s venue appearances on Facebook or Reverbnation.com.
DEAR PRODIGAL DECATUR, ALABAMA
“January Sessions,” the alternative band’s second demo, released Jan. 15. The Decatur-based band performs without a vocalist, allowing their instruments to carry their audience away. “Each [song] could be put to a story or a feeling or something that we leave up for the person listening,” said guitarist Tom Price. “We put little synopses of the songs on Bandcamp, but we hope the message that people feel at the end of it all is that there is a sense of hope despite the mountains and valleys in life.” Self-defined as “progressive
While guitarist Benjamin Tod hails from Tennessee and fiddler Ashley Mae calls South Dakota home, they can be found playing from Puckett’s Grocery in Columbia, Tennessee to Maggie Meyer’s in Huntsville, Alabama. Since the release of their third album, “Homeward Bound,” the married couple has been touring the South and preparing for their East Coast tour beginning in April. A mixture of blues, country and folk, this duet is truly unique, seeking to describe life on the road, loneliness and personal hardships through songs with a bluegrass sound similar to Split Lip Rayfield. Tod’s vocals reach out and grab the audience, pulling them into the sorrowful tunes as Mae’s harmonies and occasional gentle plucking soothes the audience into pensive listening. See Lost Dog Street Band on their East Coast tour beginning April 24.
STORY BY KALI DANIEL
APRIL 2015
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SPECIAL FEATURE 17
It takes
There are 188 references to essential oils in the Bible.
100 POUNDS
of plant material to produce
ONE POUND
of lavender essential oil.
A French chemist coined the term “aromatherapy.”
THE NEW ESSENTIAL
OLD SCHOOL MEDICINE IS MAKING A BIG COMEBACK.
HOW THE NEWEST HEALTH TREND OUT THERE IS AN OLD ONE Everyone hates being sick. Most of us are quick to grab an Advil when we have a headache or head to the doctor or local pharmacy when we have a cold. We just don’t have time to deal with sickness and pain. While these medications can be great (sometimes miracle workers), many people overlook the side effects and harm they can do to our bodies. Many pharmaceutical drugs contain harsh chemicals that aren’t healthy for us, but we overlook them simply for the convenience of feeling better. Before these drugs were even on the market, there were essential oils. Essential oils are 100 percent natural oils extracted and diffused
from plants that have been used for thousands of years. These oils have been used in cosmetics, for spiritual & emotional purposes, and most popularly to treat illnesses and sickness in a natural manner with no side effects. “The benefits of using essential oils are limitless. They can help with anything from everyday allergy symptoms to relieving tense muscles. They can even help with memory issues and help us sleep better,” Jennilee Miller, a stay at home mom of three and an essential oil enthusiast and distributor from Haleyville, Alabama, said. “I think oils have become more popular because people are looking
for ways to treat common everyday problems without running to the doctor,” Miller continued. “Oils have been around for centuries and are the basis of all modern medicine. Modern medicine just needed to find a way to get the oils without waiting on nature, so that’s how many of the chemicals have found their way into our everyday medicines.” There are hundreds of oils on the market and while many of them have specific purposes, there are definitely some that are more popular for everyday use. For instance, lavender can be used for calming and relaxation purposes. It also is great to help heal cuts, bruises, and burns. Many also find that peppermint is a
great help when it comes to nausea and also can provide an energy boost when needed. The benefits of using these oils are clearly great, but how do we actually use them? “There are 3 ways to use oils,” Miller said. “The first is by inhaling them. Usually you can do this with the use of a diffuser — which disperses an oil and water mixture like a humidifier — or just smell oils from the bottle. The second way is to use them topically or rub them on. The last way is to ingest them. Most people add them to a beverage and drink them, or they can be put in a capsule and swallowed like a pill.” Many essential oil users also like to buy products with the oils already infused in them, such as the soap from The Vintage Soap Wagon. The Montgomery, Alabamabased company sells their artisan, homemade soap to customers online and at local arts and crafts festivals across the state, including recently at the Jerry Brown Arts Festival in Hamilton, Alabama. However, if you are thinking about giving pure essential oils a try, be careful where you buy them. Many found on the shelves in your local stores can be diluted, making them less effective. The best way to obtain them is through a distributor who works with a verified company that grows and produces their own oils, such as Young Living, an online company that has been in the business of providing pure essential oils to its customers for over 20 years. The trend of using essential oils is an old one that has just recently resurfaced. With no side effects known, why not give them a try? Oils can treat anything and if you’re thinking that there’s not one out there for you, don’t worry. As Miller says, “If there’s a problem, there’s an oil for that.”
STORY BY SARAH EMERSON
18 SPECIAL FEATURE
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Kahri Member Since 2013 Abby Member Since 2013
Drew Member Since 2013
Rebecca Member Since 2013
APRIL 2015
APRIL 2015
SPECIAL FEATURE 19
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The weird thing on a turkey’s beak is called a “snood.”
Bacon is delicious. Especially if raised locally.
A BETTER CUT OF MEAT COTTONWOOD FARMS OPENS GATES IN TUSCUMBIA
LOCAL BACON AT SUNSET.
HOPE LOWERY STANDS WITH ONE OF HER FINE, FEATHERED FRIENDS. Standing over a stove late at night, I slap some bacon on the hot cast iron skillet. The salty pork fries up in the grease. I slather some mayonnaise on a bun of thin white bread and go to town. My belly full, I am happily satisfied. Sometimes, though, I feel that I’m taking the meat on my plate for granted. The process that began in a farm, or more accurately some faraway factory where cheap and massed produced meat is churned out in gross amounts, then ends up on my table and I am none the wiser. Like many others, I too didn’t give much thought to the foods I ingested until a fast wave of conscientious consumers gained a following. The rise of organic, locally sourced, farmto-table, and a host of other adjectives started to describe the movement of better and tastier food being produced by passionate people willing to work hard to minimize the ill effects of corporate meat suppliers over
traditional farming. The name of the game was not a treehugging hippy approach to farming, but a sustainable practice of providing food for the livelihood of a local community. Just a quick drive from the heart of The Shoals is Cottonwood Farms, the brainchild of Hope Lowery. Lowery, the sole owner and operator of Cottonwood, began in the summer of 2013. With her family’s farm, she set out on a career path that may not have been exactly what she thought in her younger life. “At the age of 18, my mother died of breast cancer, and I was deeply moved to nurture and take care of people,” Lowery said. “I went into nursing school, but for various reasons I realized that was not for me. With that same passion, I discovered that farming was a means to help with something people do everyday — eat. I always wondered if my mother’s cancer had been caused by certain foods that may not have been the healthiest, so I
set to provide something better.” The poultry and pork raised at Cottonwood are all special breeds recognized by The Livestock Conservancy, a group dedicated at preserving the heritage of livestock in the face of hybrid breeds being modified by humans to produce bigger, faster and fattier animals. The group promotes farmers looking to raise animals that are genetically identical to animals that would have been raised in the early days before giant corporate companies began to modify and create unique breeds to meet the ever-growing demand. The animals at Cottonwood are all fed a diet of non-genetically modified feed, and they all become delicious food as locally as possible. “I really strive to keep things local and keep the food miles down,” Lowery said. “All this meat you buy at the grocery store travels hundreds of miles before it ends up on the shelves and burns lots of energy that causes big impacts on the environment. I do my best to keep all my processes local and work very closely with partners within the industry that are passionate as I am.”
It was out of nursing school when Hope discovered Washington State college and began pursuing studies in sustainable agriculture. It was there that she learned ingenuity in running a farm and raising livestock. “After completing school up in Washington, I originally moved back to the Shoals to provide a home base to look for property in North Carolina to start a farm,” Lowery said, “but I quickly realized that this area is starting to boom and there seems to be a lot of people getting really excited about sustainable options for food. Sustainability is a word that gets thrown around a lot, but there’s more than just that. It’s this feeling of surviving on your own, and living with what you created and raise. I look in my freezer and see it full with all this great quality meat, and it’s such a satisfying feeling to know that I did that. I saw that life from start to finish, and it came right from this very area.”
STORY BY ALEX RICHEY
20 CALENDAR
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EVENTS
APRIL 2015
APRIL 1 - APRIL 30 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
BANDITOS // RUBY THE RABBITFOOT @ 116 E. MOBILE ST., FLORENCE, ALABAMA, APRIL 24, 9PM
APRIL 1
POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm J. COLE @ Marathon Music Works, Nashville, TN, 8pm
WAFFLE HOUSE WEDNESDAY @ 1104 Nashville Hwy, Columbia, TN, 10pm THE WOMAN IN GOLD @ Your Local Movie Theater DAMIEN RICE WITH MY BUBBA @ Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN, 7:30pm
FUTURE THEIVES @ Cannery Ballroom, Nashville, TN, 9pm
APRIL 2
TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm
KARAOKE @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 8pm OPRY COUNTRY CLASSICS @ Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN, 7pm FURIOUS 7 @ Your Local Movie Theater
IF YOU HAVE ANY EVENTS YOU WOULD LIKE LISTED, EMAIL CALENDAR@GETSETMAG.COM
MOUNTAIN GOATS @ Cannery Ballroom, Nashville, TN 9pm
APRIL 2015
CALENDAR 21
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APRIL 3
FIRST FRIDAY @ Downtown, Florence, AL, 5pm POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm LIVE MUSIC @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 9:30pm FURIOUS 7 @ Your Local Movie Theater LAST KNIGHTS @ Your Local Movie Theater SUPERFAST @ Your Local Movie Theater THE SALT OF THE EARTH @ Your Local Movie Theater CUT BANK @ Your Local Movie Theater BLACKBERRY SMOKE @ Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN, 7:30pm TURQUOISE JEEP @ Cannery Ballroom, Nashville, TN, 9pm
APRIL 9
MULE DAY @ Columbia, TN, 10am TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm KARAOKE @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 8pm
APRIL 10
8TH ANNUAL SHOALS EARTH DAY FEST @ Wilson Park, Florence, AL, 10am MAT KEARNEY @ Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN, 8pm DELTA SPIRIT @ Cannery Ballroom, Nashville, TN, 8pm BIKINI ATOL // ISAAC @ 116 E. Mobile, Florence, AL, 9pm
MULE DAY @ Columbia, TN, 10am POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm PLANET INK, THE ACORN PEOPLE, CALIGULOVE, AND CHEAP THRILL DEVILLE @ the end. theatre, Florence, AL, 8pm LIVE MUSIC @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 9:30pm THE LONGEST RIDE @ Your Local Movie Theater THE MOON AND THE SUN @ Your Local Movie Theater MAN FROM RENO @ Your Local Movie Theater EX MACHINA @ Your Local Movie Theater KILL ME THREE TIMES @ Your Local Movie Theater TRUE STORY @ Your Local Movie Theater DESERT DANCER @ Your Local Movie Theater
APRIL 5
APRIL 11
APRIL 4
SAM’S PLACE – MUSIC FOR THE SPIRIT @ Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN, 7pm
APRIL 6
MULE DAY @ Columbia, TN, 9am BILLIARDS @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm TRIVIA NIGHT @ Odette, Florence, AL, 8pm DAVE CHAPPELLE @ Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN, 7pm & 10pm ALT-J @ Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville, TN, 8pm
APRIL 7
TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm DAVE CHAPPELLE @ Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN, 7pm STEVIE WONDER @ Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN, 8pm
APRIL 8
MULE DAY @ Columbia, TN, Early-Afternoon POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm WAFFLE HOUSE WEDNESDAY @ 1104 Nashville Hwy, Columbia, TN, 10pm
MULE DAY @ Columbia, TN, 6am ALAN JACKSON @ Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN, 6pm FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS @ Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA, 8pm
APRIL 12
MULE DAY @ Columbia, TN, 9am SNEAKER FRIENDS 2015 @ Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA, 1pm
APRIL 13
BILLIARDS @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm TRIVIA NIGHT @ Odette, Florence, AL, 8pm
WAFFLE HOUSE WEDNESDAY @ 1104 Nashville Hwy, Columbia, TN, 10pm
APRIL 16
TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm KARAOKE @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 8pm OPRY COUNRY CLASSICS @ Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville, TN, 7pm
APRIL 17
POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm LIVE MUSIC @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 9:30pm UNFRIENDED @ Your Local Movie Theater CHILD 44 @ Your Local Movie Theater PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2 @ Your Local Movie Theater MONKEY KINGDOM @ Your Local Movie Theater THE DEAD LANDS @ Your Local Movie Theater
APRIL 18
MY HERO 5K @ Hwy 278/195, Double Springs, AL, 8am BLOOMIN’ FESTIVAL ARTS AND CRAFTS FAIR @ St. Bernard Prep School Grounds, Cullman, AL, 9am MUSCLE SHOALS SPRING FLEA MARKET @ North Alabama State Fairgrounds, Muscle Shoals, AL, 9am 5TH ANNUAL TIGER PRIDE CAR SHOW @ Airport Road, Jasper, AL, 9am EMISUNSHINE @ Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville, TN, 7pm THE DOGWOOD VANDALS // SCM ELECTRIX @ 116 E. Mobile, Florence, AL, 9pm
APRIL 19
APRIL 14
TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE @ Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville, TN, 7pm & 9:30pm
BLOOMIN’ FESTIVAL ARTS AND CRAFTS FAIR @ St. Bernard Prep School Grounds, Cullman, AL, 9am MUSCLE SHOALS SPRING FLEA MARKET @ North Alabama State Fairgrounds, Muscle Shoals, AL, 10am KEVIN HART: WHAT NOW TOUR? @ Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN, 7pm; 10pm
APRIL 15
APRIL 20
POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm THE SUFFERS // THE TONTONS @ 116 E. Mobile, Florence, AL, 9pm
BILLIARDS @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm TRIVIA NIGHT @ Odette, Florence, AL, 8pm
APRIL 21
TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm
APRIL 22
EARTH DAY POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm HALESTORM WITH THE PRETTY RECKLESS @ Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN, 7:30pm WAFFLE HOUSE WEDNESDAY @ 1104 Nashville Hwy, Columbia, TN, 10pm
APRIL 23
HEALTH & FITNESS EXPO @ Music City Center, Hall C-D, Nashville, TN, 12pm TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm KARAOKE @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 8pm OPRY COUNTRY CLASSICS @ Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville, TN, 7pm
APRIL 24
HEALTH & FITNESS EXPO @ Music City Center, Hall C-D, Nashville, TN, 10am PANOPLY ARTS FESTIVAL @ Big Spring Park, Huntsville, AL, 5pm POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm TEN OUT OF TENN WITH ANDREW BELLE @ Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN, 8pm BANDITOS // RUBY THE RABBITFOOT @ 116 E. Mobile, Florence, AL, 9pm THE SUN. THE MOON. W/ JEFF SHEPARD & THE JAILHOUSE POET AND RACHAEL KATE @ the end. theatre, Florence, AL, 9pm LIVE MUSIC @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 9:30pm THE AGE OF ADALINE @ Your Local Movie Theater LITTLE BOY @ Your Local Movie Theater THE WATER DIVINER @ Your Local Movie Theater
APRIL 25
COUNTRY MUSIC 5K @ Downtown at Demonbreun St. & 4th Ave., Nashville, TN, 6:45am COUNTRY MUSIC MARATHON & ½ MARATHON @ Downtown on Broadway, Nashville, TN, 7am TOUR DE BLUE @ Red Diamond Corporate Headquarters, 400 Park Ave., Moody, AL, 8am 11TH ANNUAL SWAMPERS 5K & 1 MILE RUN/WALK @ Muscle Shoals Middle School, Muscle Shoals, AL, 8am
IF YOU HAVE ANY EVENTS YOU WOULD LIKE LISTED, EMAIL CALENDAR@GETSETMAG.COM
WALK FOR JUSTICE @ Wilson Park, Florence, AL, 9am PANOPLY ARTS FESTIVAL @ Big Spring Park, Huntsville, AL, 10am
APRIL 26
PANOPLY ARTS FESTIVAL @ Big Spring Park, Huntsville, AL, 12pm
APRIL 27
BILLIARDS @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm BOB DYLAN @ Tennessee Performing Arts Center – Andrew Jackson Hall, Nashville, TN, 7:30pm RYAN ADAMS @ Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN, 7:30pm TRIVIA NIGHT @ Odette, Florence, AL, 8pm
APRIL 28
TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm
APRIL 29
POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE WITH THE ANTLERS @ Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN, 7:30pm WAFFLE HOUSE WEDNESDAY @ 1104 Nashville Hwy, Columbia, TN, 10pm IRIS @ Your Local Movie Theater
APRIL 30
TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm KARAOKE @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 8pm AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON @ Your Local Movie Theater
22 HEALTH
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The song “Bein’ Green” was covered by over 40 artists.
APRIL 2015
95% of people with eating disorders are 12–25 yrs old.
IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN EMBRACING A POSITIVE SELF IMAGE Many of the greats have had something to say about being positive about yourself, but there is one celeb that said it best: Kermit the Frog. No, it’s absolutely not easy being green, as Kermit says. It’s also not easy being tall, heavy or freckle-faced, but when you learn to embrace those little “imperfections” you might just find that beauty is what you make it. Living in a time when flat stomachs and the infamous “thigh gap” make you someone’s idea of perfect, it is
often difficult to stare into a mirror and be content with the person looking back at you. By focusing on the negative qualities we cannot change, we only shatter our confidence when we should be building ourselves up by focusing on our more important, beautiful qualities. I asked people on social media to share one positive word to describe themselves and was astounded by the number of responses. Among the wave of positivity were the terms
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STORY BY ALEXANDRIA TERRELL
GETSETMAG.COM
New Website!
trustworthy, honest, loyal, determined, whimsical and FABULOUS! (Notice none of these were physical features!) Electing to have a positive selfimage is not a one-time thing; it is a complete lifestyle change! You can start by limiting negative slurs
about yourself. Critiquing yourself every time you pass your reflection is not going to change anything but your mood. If you must let an unconstructive remark slip, follow it with two uplifting, encouraging comments about yourself. Next step: eliminate criticizing others. You already know that so why not actually do it? Often, we think that by bringing others down we can feel a little better about ourselves, but the truth is: negativity is ugly. By taking negativity out of your life completely you can start to build on a positive foundation that will ultimately give you more confidence to be FABULOUS!
APRIL 2015
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HEALTH 23
24 SPOTLIGHT
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SAY CHEESE!
SET READERS IN ACTION
APRIL 2015
PHOTOS BY ROBERT BROCK COBLE, COURTNEY TULLY AND DALLAS MOORE
FIRST FRIDAYS FLORENCE, AL, MARCH 6, PHOTOS BY COURTNEY TULLY
CHESTER SWINEA, SAVANNAH GROSCH, TRAVIS LINDSEY AND DELMAR WILLIAMS
EVAN SANDY OF STRANGE WAVES
PENNY & SPARROW 116 E. MOBILE, MARCH 15, PHOTOS BY ROBERT BROCK COBLE
ALEX BERRY AND DELMAR WILLIAMS
SPENCER MURPHY
ANDY BAXTER OF PENNY AND SPARROW
SAWYER BEHEL AND LAUREN TAFT
APRIL 2015
SPOTLIGHT 25
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JONATHAN RAINEY AND JOSH COCHRAN
ROBERT SANDERS, MORIAH SANDERS AND CHRIS WILLIAMS
SHARE THE ROAD FLORENCE, AL, MARCH 17, PHOTOS BY COURTNEY TULLY
BAILEY POWELL AND DANIEL POWELL
26 SPOTLIGHT
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APRIL 2015
AFTER SCHOOL AMBUSH RED BAY HIGH SCHOOL, MARCH 20, PHOTOS BY DALLAS MOORE
GAME NIGHT THE END. THEATRE, MARCH 21, PHOTOS BY DALLAS MOORE
JEFFREY ALLEN, ANDREW AARON AND DAVID GRAHAM
WILLIAM BALLARD, JESSICA EDWARDS, LOUIS COLLINS AND GAGE PRINCE
APRIL 2015
SPOTLIGHT 27
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BRENT JACKSON AND MEGAN COFFMAN
DALIAN HINES
KYLE DAVIS AND KYLE PRESCOTT
FULL OF HELL THE END. THEATRE, MARCH 23, PHOTOS BY COURTNEY TULLY
ANDY GRIGSBY, DRAKE WHITE AND PARKER NATHAN
RANDALL NICHOLS, ARYN STANFIELD AND DESTINEE ELLIARD
SETH STANFIELD AND EVAN SANDY
MICHAEL DANLEY, JIMBO T. AND BLAIR FARLEY
NATHAN PINSON, CAROL NORTHROPE AND CARSTEN TEMPLETON
28 SPECIAL FEATURE
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Volunteer rates are highest among young people ages 15-25.
LIVING A LEGACY
YOU REAP MORE THAN WHAT YOU SOW.
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
You reap what you sow. That is nature’s law of being green. What you put in is what you’ll get out. If we “sow our wild oats,” they’re gonna grow into some prickly, hairy, nasty, bitter crud. But I believe we can do better than that. SET magazine is the voice of young adults in our communities who are givers, crea-tors, producers, investors and careers. It’s our voice. Let’s tell our communities that we are willing to listen to those who have gone before us, that we’re de-termined to invest in
our own education and life experience, that we’re able to reach out to those in need and make sacrifices to better the lives of others and that we’re smart enough to prepare for whatever challenges lie ahead. You also reap after you sow. A seed doesn’t turn into a tree over night. If we’re going to make a difference, we’ll have to be patient. The good news is that living a legacy doesn’t necessitate some Buzzfeed shattering cleverness. It’s those good small decisions that start to add up to something that matters. Don’t be discouraged if you’re trying to do well and you don’t see the progress you were hoping for. Keep investing and producing and one day you’ll experience this final truth about living a legacy. You reap more than you sow. If this wasn’t true, the human race would have died out long ago. One good seed can produce a barrel full of food. Live well and give well and you’ll see a multiplying effect. You can overcome evil with good. And when you do, you’ll see good springing up from places you never could have imagined.
STORY BY ANDY WALLACE
APRIL 2015
APRIL 2015
DIY 29
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Empty your wine bottles prior to making the project.
Use the planters to express your own style!
FIRE AND ICE TURN YOUR TRASH INTO ECO-FRIENDLY TREASURES
WITH A BIT STRING AND FLAMES, YOU’LL HAVE A HOMEMADE VASE! Have you ever seen old junk in your recycling bin and wondered what you could create? Then repurposing may be for you! With some ingenuity, imagination and a little bit of fire, you can create a cool and stylish flowerpot out of someone’s trash.
SUPPLIES:
• an empty glass bottle • yarn • a tub of ice water • a lighter • fingernail polish remover • sandpaper • scissors • a plant that makes your heart smile
STEP ONE:
After gathering everything you need, cut a lengthy piece of yarn and wrap it tightly around the bottle four to six times where the glass has been curved. Then tie the yarn and cut the excess. TIP: Put the yarn about an inch lower than where you want the bottle to break.
STEP TWO:
Slip the yarn off the bottle and immerse it completely into the acetone. Make sure it is well soaked with the acetone and put the yarn back on the bottle in its original position. TIP: You can put some acetone on the bottle where you had the yarn to help with the burning later!
STEP THREE:
This is where everything can go really right or really wrong so be uber careful with this step. Hold the bottle by the bottom and light the yarn. While it burns, rotate it slowly for around 25 seconds, then dunk it quickly into the tub of ice water. The contrast in temperatures in such short proximity will break the glass! This is the step we had the most trouble with, and we learned the magic behind it was not letting the flame go out before you put it in the water while also making sure you let it burn long enough to burn the bottle thoroughly. It is a tricky balance that may take a few tries to get right.
STEP FOUR:
Broken glass is usually accompanied by sharp edges, so this is where your sandpaper comes in. Sand around the edges of both pieces of glass. You don’t have to sand for long, but just enough to dull the sharp edge.
This experiment took us only about 30 minutes to complete and cost under $10 — a very reasonable sacrifice for our own herb garden in the kitchen!
STEP FIVE:
Finally, put water in the bottom half of your bottle and turn the top half upside down into it. After putting the plant of your choice in the top, push the roots down through the neck of the bottle.
STORY BY PAIGE MCCAY
30 FREESTYLE
FREESTYLE
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APRIL 2015
WHAT SIZE IS YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT?
HOW MANY MEALS DO YOU EAT PER DAY? 1. 1 MEAL 2. 2 MEALS (NOT A BREAKFAST EATER) 3. 3 MEALS
HOW OFTEN DO YOU EAT LOCALLY GROWN FOOD? 1. ALWAYS 2. SOMETIMES 3. NEVER
HOW OFTEN DO YOU EAT MEAT? 1. NEVER 2. FEW TIMES A WEEK 3. AT LEAST ONCE A DAY (CARNIVORE STATUS)
HOW MUCH TRASH DO YOU THROW AWAY EACH DAY? 1. .5 POUND 2. 1 POUND (WEIGHT OF A FOOTBALL) 3. 2 OR MORE POUNDS
HOW MUCH DO YOU RECYCLE? 1. REGULARLY 2. EVERY NOW AND THEN 3. NOT AT ALL
DO YOU OWN CAR(S)? 1. NO 2. 1 CAR 3. 2 OR MORE CARS
HOW OFTEN DO YOU USE A BIKE, SKATEBOARD, OR WALK FOR TRAVELING SHORT DISTANCES? 1. OFTEN 2. NOT OFTEN 3. I DRIVE EVERYWHERE
DO YOU BUY SECOND-HAND ITEMS? 1. YES (THRIFT STORES OVER RETAIL ANY DAY) 2. OCCASIONALLY 3. NO TOTAL SCORE: ___________
Score is 8-12: Your carbon footprint is small at this moment. Your footprint size would be a size 5½. The amount of carbon you produced per year is anywhere from 2 to 6 tons of CO2. Score is 13-17: Your carbon footprint is quite big at this moment. You have an average footprint size (compared to the population; feet size does not define you). You are on the right track! The amount of carbon you produced per year is anywhere from 6 to 15 tons of CO2. Score is 18-24: Your carbon footprint is very large at this moment. Big-foot sized. You know what they say about big footprints? Well, they would probably say that it’s not good. The amount of carbon you produced per year is anywhere from 15 to 22 tons of CO2. On average, an individual in the United States emits 20 tons of CO2 each year. These man-made contributions of carbon dioxide emissions come mostly from burning fossil fuels and not recycling. The United States emits the most carbon dioxide per capita in the world. China and India both have almost ONE BILLION more people in their country, yet they each only emit less than 2.5 tons of CO2! At this rate, there needs to be another Earth to counterbalance our not-so-green habits.
STORY BY AMANDA AREOSTATICO
APRIL 2015
FREESTYLE 31
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account on campus at the University of North Alabama or any of our CO-OP Shared Branches located worldwide. To find the location nearest you, go to co-opsharedbranch.org