VOLUME 04 ISSUE 07 AUGUST 2016
SPIN ME RIGHT ROUND, BABY
DAT COOKIE DOUGH
I LOVE YOU, YOU IDIOT
2 TABLE OF CONTENTS
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AUGUST 2016
TABLE OF CONTENTS 3
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SO WHAT’S CAUSING THE RISE OF THE DOWNTOWN SCENE? IN ONE WORD: CULTURE. THE DOWNTOWN ERA, P12
LETTER
CONTRIBUTORS LET’S HEAR IT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
FROM THE EDITOR
9 THINGS TO STOP DOING ONLINE SUMMER MEANS TRAVELLING, AND TRAVELLING MEANS PUBLIC WI-FI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
A TIME FOR CHANGE August is a time for change. For most of you, August means a new school year, and with that comes new friends and new experiences. It also means a new issue of our beloved SET, along with me, your new editor. I am very excited to start this journey with you all and I am even more excited to work with our contributors and photographers. You all may remember Anna Grace, immediate past SET editor, who so gracefully and helpfully passed the baton to me, along with everyone here are Listerhill Credit Union. She has decided to further her education and her career, and so here I am. All of this talk about newness got me thinking about the notion of creating something totally communal, something that benefits the group and the prosperity of that group. Throughout my life, the idea of leaving behind something that will benefit the other has been engrained and it is now part of who I am. So when it came time to choose a feature for this edition, I started thinking about downtown and how all downtowns have been growing and booming. I remember the first time I drove through downtown Florence: it was early June, the trees lining both sides of Court Street in full bloom and just coming into their summer shapes, when I was around eight or nine. My family was on the way to our house on the Tennessee River, and after marveling over the O’Neal Bridge, my tiny, younger self couldn’t comprehend that there was this place just beyond the red light
BREXIT FELT AROUND THE WORLD WHAT IT ALL MEANS AND HOW IT AFFECTS AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT AT UNA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
BIKING FOR A CAUSE FLORENCE NATIVE CYCLES FOR THOSE IN NEED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
THE DOWNTOWN ERA A CULTURE CREATED BY SMALL TOWN DOWNTOWNS AND LOVE OF NOSTALGIA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
STEADY AS SHE DOUGHS COOKIE DOUGH? BAD? HOW SAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
DO YOU EVEN LIFT? UNA ALUMNUS OPENS GYM, CHANGES LIVES. . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17 on Court Street. Fast forward 17 years and I routinely walk around downtown, either to get coffee from Woodpecker Café or for a night out. In this new, August edition of SET, contributor Lexi Peck takes a closer look at Columbia, Tennessee and gives us the low down on what’s up and happening on the square. Allie Sockwell reminisces on Gilmore Girls and finds some common connections to our town of Florence. Rebekah Milwee catches up with Brandon Pennington as he cycles across the nation for a great cause. All this and more. If you, dear reader, are interested in joining us here at SET, email me at editor@getsetmag.com. Now, I don’t know about y’all, but a Dratini just popped up down the street on Pokémon Go, so I’m off to catch it.
BY ISAAC RAY NORRIS, 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.
TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSPORTATION UNA CONSIDERS OFFERING CAR-SHARING ON CAMPUS. . . . . . . . . 19
CALENDAR WHAT’S GOING ON HERE? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-21
WHERE YOU LEAD, I WILL FOLLOW THE REVIVAL OF GILMORE GIRLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
SPOTLIGHT SET READERS IN ACTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-27
OVERWATCH IN A NUTSHELL OVERWATCH IS HERE AND IT’S NOT LEAVING ANYTIME SOON . . . 29
ONE-LINER DINER RED DOOR CAFÉ: HOME TO BEN SOUTH’S WITTY ART DISPLAY. . . 30
FREESTYLE BACK TO SCHOOL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
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4 CONTRIBUTORS
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SET CONTRIBUTORS REBEKAH MILWEE
ALEXIS PECK
ERIN REMKUS
Gilroy, CA
Columbia, TN
Cherokee, AL
ALLIE SOCKWELL
ASHLEY GRAVES
COURTNEY TULLEY
Lawrenceburg, TN
Athens, AL
Rogersville, AL
SPENCER BROOKS Athens, AL
WILL COREY
Florence, AL
ASHLEY REMKUS Cherokee, AL
DUSTIN COAN
Ford City, AL
AUGUST 2016
AUGUST 2016
TECH 5
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The U.S. Navy receives 110K cyber-attacks every hour.
600K Facebook accounts are compromised every day.
9 THINGS TO STOP DOING ONLINE SUMMER MEANS TRAVELLING, AND TRAVELLING MEANS PUBLIC WI-FI It’s easy to get comfortable in your daily online routine, where you share things with your networks of friends and followers on a regular basis. But between public social networks and public Wi-Fi networks, you may not realize quite how much you could be sharing with complete strangers. On Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, your innocuous vacation updates may actually be a security concern — especially if you’re posting them from a bustling coffee shop. The major hazard with public WiFi is the fact that all the information you’re transferring is available to everybody on the network. Others can listen in to your private conversations, learn your passwords, or gain control of your online accounts. So here’s a list of nine bad habits you should ditch immediately in order to keep your digital self safe.
1. DON’T: SEND ANY SENSITIVE INFORMATION OVER PUBLIC WI-FI If you wouldn’t want the world knowing about it, don’t share it over public Wi-Fi. If you’re working from Starbucks or the airport, try to avoid accessing private financial information, like your bank account, or sharing personal details via email or social media.
2. DON’T: CONNECT TO STRANGE WIFI NETWORKS If you aren’t sure what Wi-Fi network is the one provided by your local cafe, don’t just connect to any old hub. Ask a manager for the credentials of their network. It’s not unheard of for criminals to set up hotspots in busy areas.
3. DON’T: SHARE YOUR PHONE NUMBER Most people have wizened up to this one, but you still see the Facebook posts crop up every once in a while: Hey everyone, I lost my phone over the weekend and I’ve got a new number now, XXX-XXXX! If you’ve got your contacts backed up to iCloud or Google (always a good idea), you can send out a text message with your new number. Alternatively, you can share a post that you’ve got a new number. If anyone wants it, they can DM you — and you can take it from there.
4. DON’T: SHARE SOCIAL OR VACATION PLANS ON SOCIAL MEDIA Sharing a status update on Saturday’s big barbecue at the park may be a good idea if you’re hoping for a big turnout, but not such a good idea in terms of home and personal safety. For starters, you’re broadcasting where you’re going to be at a given time, which could be dangerous if you have ever had a stalker (or a crazy ex). Second, you’re also sharing when you’re not home, which could make you more vulnerable to being robbed.
5. DON’T: POST EVERYTHING TO EVERY SOCIAL NETWORK You’ve got your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and LinkedIn all completely synced so when you post an update to one network, it goes everywhere at once. If you want to maximize your followers on a particular channel, it’s best to cater your post so it makes the most sense
RECONSIDER THAT ETSY PURCHASE AT STARBUCKS! on that platform: Shorten your message or link out on Twitter; add a bunch of relevant hashtags on Instagram; include a snappy GIF on Tumblr — you get the picture.
6. DON’T: PUBLICLY SHARE PHOTOS OF KIDS WITH THEIR REAL NAMES Adults have the ability to untag themselves from images they don’t want to be publicly identified in, but kids don’t have that option. A lot of savvy parents these days are only referring to their children online through a hashtag or a nickname, protecting their identity without forsaking the fun of sharing family photos.
7. DON’T: SHARE PRIVATE, IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA It may be fun talking about your pets with colleagues on Twitter or Instagram, but if “Fluffy” is also the answer to security questions for your online accounts, you shouldn’t be sharing it with the world.
8. DON’T: SHARE PASSWORDS There are some situations where password sharing is totally acceptable, such as Netflix and HBO Go, but when it comes to email, banking, Facebook, and Twitter, there’s no need to share your password.
9. DO: USE TWO STEP AUTHENTICATION While it can be inconvenient, two-factor authentication is the best and easiest way to keep your online accounts from getting hacked. What two-factor does is when you log into an account from a new or strange device, the service sends you an email or text message with a code you have to input in addition to your normal passcode.
STORY BY ISAAC RAY NORRIS
6 MONEY
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MONEY 7
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Theresa May was named the new Prime Minister of the UK.
Leave won by 52%, with more than 30 million people voting.
BREXIT FELT AROUND THE WORLD WHAT IT ALL MEANS AND HOW IT AFFECTS AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT AT UNA Earlier this summer, the United Kingdom voted to leave to the European Union via referendum - questioning its citizenry’s belief on immigration, causing the world economy to spiral, and bringing its leader to resign while giving a woman the title of Prime Minister, for the second time. Brexit is the term used by the United Kingdom (UK) that describes its leaving the European Union (EU). It is formed from the combination of Britain and Exit and is derived from the term Grexit, which Greece used when they held talks to leave the European Union. The European Union was formed after World War Two to foster economic collaboration between six European countries: France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, and the Netherlands; the hope was that it would prevent war between them. It has since grown to include 28 member countries, and has evolved into a “single market,” wherein goods and people are allowed to move around. Basically, the member countries have their own individual customs and currencies, but they act as one country. The EU has its own currency, the euro, which is used by 19 of the member countries, its own parliament, and now it sets rules in a wide range of areas – including on the environment, transportation, consumer rights, and even mobile phone services. The single market aspect of the EU has caused concern over the free movement of goods and people, mainly on immigrants and refugees going into the UK. Concerns over technical standards, immigration, and the concept of a level playing field throughout all of the member countries, has become increasingly important. Now that the UK has voted to leave
THE E.U. FLAG, MINUS THE U.K. the EU, the regulations no longer apply to them, and they will have to start from scratch to find new ways to work, trade, and situate themselves within the global economy. One University of North Alabama student, Stacey Webber, a senior secondary education major and member of the UNA soccer team, spoke with me about how Brexit affects her and her family. “I came to UNA on a soccer scholarship. Brexit has affected my family because the pound to dollar
exchange rate has gone down, so my parents have to give me more money to cover bills.” Webber said. “Personally, I think we should have stayed as part of the European Union because the EU funding has created so much opportunity. For example, it has paid for the construction of several schools and hospitals. The Wales under-20 rugby team was completely funded by the money from the EU and a lot of education and scholarships are funded by the EU.” Part of the issue of Brexit is a
concern over immigration, particularly with jobs. “When I lived there, I lived in a town where we had a lot of polish immigrants. A lot of people didn’t like this as they felt they were taking the cheap housing, and claiming governmental benefits. However, I didn’t agree,” Webber said. “They came to my town and did many of the jobs that the British didn’t want to do. I think they brought a lot of benefit to my town and I liked the fact that we got to experience a range of different cultures. Now that we are not a part of the EU, it’s going to be harder for immigrants to come into our country, which is both a good and a bad thing. I think it will reduce crime rate, but it will also reduce the employment pool. The immigrants possess a range of skills that benefit us and I think we will be at a deficit when the referendum actually kicks in.” Now that the UK has voted to leave the EU, it affects the world economy. More specifically, it affects the US economy. Brexit triggers a stronger dollar, which hurts U.S. trade. Companies who sell products outside the U.S. have to make their products more expensive to buyers. This hurts sales for companies like Apple, Nike, and Coca-Cola. More expensive products and services could lead to a profits recession, which could affect markets within the U.S. This is a complicated issue, and it is full of interconnected problems and issues, but the projections of fallout and drastic economic upheaval are thought to be unrealistic and highly improbable.
STORY BY ISAAC RAY NORRIS
8 NONPROFIT
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In 2014, 328 riders pedaled over 1 million miles.
AUGUST 2016
In 2014, Bike and Build volunteered 24,500 hours.
BIKING FOR A CAUSE FLORENCE NATIVE CYCLES FOR THOSE IN NEED They say that once you learn to ride a bike, you never forget how it’s done. Likewise, when you have life changing experiences on a bicycle, they are ingrained in the memory forever. Just ask Florence’s own Brandon Pennington. This summer Brandon, along with 30 others, has embarked on a cross-country bicycle route across America, stopping along the way to participate in humanitarian work in poverty stricken areas. This is all made possible through the organization Bike and Build. Bike and Build’s mission to raise awareness for affordable housing projects is one that each rider typically shares a passion for. Participants are not only enriching their own lives, but giving strangers the gift of a more opportune future as well. Participants are usually seeking adventure and a way to help raise awareness and help out those less fortunate. The unique route Brandon is participating in began in New Haven, Connecticut on June 1, and is projected to end in Half Moon Bay, California on August 14, 2016. Brandon is on one of eight different meticulously crafted cross-country routes Bike and Build takes each year. At each stop, members work with affordable housing groups such as Habitat for Humanity on construction sites. As any millennial journalist would, I added Bike and Build on Snapchat in order to better feel out the experience. The riders were just passing through Montrose, Colorado. Through Snapchat, I was able to view Colorado’s sweeping landscapes: sky meeting mountains above its mirrored reflection in the reservoir
PENNINGTON AND FELLOW CYCLIST ON THE ROAD. below. When the cyclists stopped for the day, they were letting loose, and making goofy videos of themselves hanging out as a group. According to Brandon and his fellow Bike and Build participant, Erik, the team dynamic that forms these significantly memorable experiences is almost always remarkably strong. As I researched the program I became very interested in applying myself. I asked Brandon if Bike and Build riders were always athletes, or if mostly sedentary couch potatoes like myself had ever hung in there for the duration of the trip. “Many people are often hesitant to imagine themselves participating in Bike and Build because the thought of riding cross-country is daunting. They assume that the program is more tailored to those who are already bicycle enthusiasts or highly trained athletes,” Pennington said. “However, Bike and Build actually provides team members with their own bikes to train on for six months prior to the trip. This enables the cyclists to get comfortable with their bike and earn the training hours
Bike and Build requires before embarking on their cross-country venture.” Bike and Build riders are required to log a certain number of hours in a variety of different elements before the trip begins. These hours include: rides in the rain, riding up to 75 miles at a time, and riding on a major road or highway. This ensures that the rider is advanced enough to keep up with the pace of the trip. As if biking across an entire nation isn’t demanding enough, there’s the building portion of Bike and Build. At the beginning of the trip the riders travel to their destination and spend a week learning about the affordable housing crisis and what can be done to help house families caught in cycles of poverty. Here, they are assigned service projects and begin to train in the type of work they they will become accustomed to over the upcoming summer. Along the route, they will make several scheduled stops to build and renovate, as well as educate the community on the affordable housing crisis. Riders also get four “rest,” days in some of the best sites along the groups route. If weather does not permit riding, or a situation arises where the ride is not possible or safe that day, the the riders are shuttled to their next location along with their bicycles. The organization is non-religious, but the members are often scheduled to say in churches or host homes during their stops. Each rider is required to fundraise around $4,000 for the trip. Thanks to Bike and Build’s strong social media presence, family members and friends can track rider’s progress on a daily basis. If you are interested in pedaling for a cause, sponsoring a rider, donating to benefit Affordable Housing or Brandon and his personal journey, visit Bike and Build website at www.bikeandbuild.org
STORY BY REBEKAH MILWEE
AUGUST 2016
NONPROFIT 9
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Nick Walton
Miracle Osborne
Member since 2015
Member since 2013
Visit Our Stop by The Hill
to relax, recharge, or (of course) take care of your financial
needs. The Hill is a full service, student-run Listerhill Credit Union location in The Commons at UNA dedicated to helping students reach their full financial potential.
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STORY BY ALEXIS PECK
10 FEATURE
A CULTURE CREATED BY SMALL TOWN DOWNTOWNS AND LOVE OF NOSTALGIA
AUGUST 2016
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Columbia's motto: Something good around every corner.
FEATURE 11
Florence, AL is named after Florence, Italy.
Peeling paint provides a peak into Columbia’s past. Around the end of the '90s and into the 2000s the Mall Era reined supreme. Some of us may not remember it too well, but teens and young adults would flock to the food courts to gab and gossip about junior high drama. They’d hit up all the same chain stores humming the same Britney or Backstreet Boys songs in search of jellies and choker necklaces. My older sister nostalgically referred to it as “pop wonderland.” In the past I’ve been a little jealous of the experiences my older sister had growing up. Roller blading down to the mall to hang out with friends, sipping on Slushies, and blowing your week’s allowance to buy a rare beanie baby sounded like ultimate freedom. What I’ve begun to realize though is that we Millennials are coming into our own era. It is an era and culture that celebrates individuality, rich history and ingenuity. It’s the resurgence of Downtown. I talked to James Lund, the owner of The Old Curiosity Book Shop on the square in Columbia, TN, about this revitalization and wasn’t surprised a bit when he told me, “Since our opening in October 2012 over thirty other small businesses have moved into the square and surrounding area.” This last year has been especially busy with more grand openings of boutiques, specialty shops and local eats. Columbia continues to boom with more small businesses all the time, each finding their niche in an old home, historic building, or timeworn street. Since this spring alone we’ve seen Red Bird Antiques relocate here from Spring Hill and The Faded Farmhouse opened their second location downtown on East Sixth. Just this summer, Pucketts Grocery & Restaurant launched their ice cream shop, Hattie Jane’s, and The Book Nook Used Bookstore and Café opened between West Seventh and Eighth streets. By the fall, Columbia hopes to see The Mercantile Deli open on the square and Windmill Bakery and Coffee in the Arts District. This revival of downtown has been a long time coming. It was only a few years ago that these beautiful old buildings were dirty, dilapidated and vacant, most with “For Sale” signs in the windows. You could say that the city’s rebranding efforts have influenced the recent influx of new businesses, but I think the
My older sister nostalgically referred to it as “pop wonderland.”
12 FEATURE
The annual Mule Day Festival attracts 100K+ visitors.
Columbia’s Courthouse
Pucketts and Hattie Jane's Creamery
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AUGUST 2016
Columbia, TN's population is about 37,000 people. rebranding was a natural step after the initial changes. So what’s causing the rise of the Downtown scene? In one word: culture. When the culture shifts, everything must follow. Our culture and what’s viewed as trendy has completely changed over the last decade. So it’s only natural that shiny, new buildings, and posh, extravagant living has been shoved to the wayside and we’ve welcomed exposed brick, patina and rich history back into our lives. According to Columbia local and Muletown barista Alice Sherman, “Vintage is the new black.” Downtown is the ultimate vintage, the epitome and picture of this culture shift. The public square and surrounding downtown has transformed in three major ways. First, food. Columbia has seen it’s fair share of chain restaurants, so these mom-and-pop eateries are a welcome sight. This year we’re proud to have three different diners in the running for best burger in Tennessee and have several options for down home southern cooking such as Christy’s, Pucketts and Square Market Café. We also have a fair selection of unique spots like Red 7 Pizza Co. where you can create your own personal pie with a wide variety of sauces and toppings. Los Potros Authentic Mexican offers amazing street tacos and horchata among other delicious favorites, and Hattie Jane’s Creamery takes the cake with their “match maker” blended creations and baked goods. The originality behind these restaurants – their food, the atmosphere, the experience – is all a byproduct of the culture changes. Second, local goods. The “shop local” push has been fully adopted here as Columbia is loaded with boutiques, and specialty antique stores. With Lillie Jane, Oak & Lace, Unique Boutique, and Southern Exposure dominating all things clothing and accessories, shoppers are guaranteed to find something none of their friends have. If you’re looking for Joanna Gaines inspired farmhouse décor then you’ll hit the jackpot if you visit some of the downtown shops. The Faded Farmhouse, Loblolly, Bleu 32 and Antiques on the square offer large selections of vintage items that are sure to be statement pieces of your home. Finally, the arts. Music is an integral part in any culture and providing spaces for local musicians to display their talents and abilities has shaped this small
The Wheel bicycle shop has been serving locals since 1973.
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FEATURE 13
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Famed designer Billy Reid, opened flagship in Florence. town. Downtown there are at least four different locations with live music on any given Friday or Saturday night. Only a 45-minute drive from Nashville, our downtown is filled with some of the finest in country, bluegrass and folk/ Americana styles. Columbia School of Performing Arts has also opened on the square this summer and offers dance classes for all ages. Downtown offers locals something the newer buildings and areas of town do not: charming, slow paced, Mayberry style living. The music, the food, and the history in the old walls of the new small businesses create a culture that is causing tremendous growth and activity in these small towns. This is the era Millennials are growing into and it stretches farther than Columbia, Tennessee. Florence and Tuscumbia, Alabama are just two of many other small towns going through a similar revitalization. The explosion of renovated buildings, new business, and an overall revamping of city marketing has increased the number of people you see on the streets of each downtown something that was almost nonexistent a decade ago. Each downtown maintains its uniqueness while still taking part in the same movement. Just like 90s kids all over the country hung out in different shopping malls, small town downtowns are attracting locals and visitors from all over. This downtown era is exactly the kind of culture we Millennials can thrive in. The celebration of individuality, new ideas and the start of new businesses while preserving the richness and charm of the past beats any 90s mall era nostalgia. Besides, I never found a beanie baby worth much anyway.
Variety Records and Muletown Coffee
Columbia, TN is the “Mule capitol of the world.�
"Vintage is the new black."
14 FOOD
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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FOOD 15
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On June 28, the FDA warned people not to eat raw dough.
Heat treated flour, which is used in ice cream, is safe.
STEADY AS SHE DOUGHS COOKIE DOUGH? BAD? HOW SAD
HOW CAN SOMETHING SO GOOD BE SO BAD?
What’s worse than being informed that the best sweet treat on the planet could possibly contain bacteria that emits E. coli? Finding out you’ve most likely consumed it your whole life. Since childhood, everyone has eaten spoonsful of brownie batter before it goes in the oven, scraped the cake mix bowl to get every last drop that didn’t go into the pan, and discovered the enjoyment of eating countless pounds of raw cookie dough. OK, maybe it’s just me who anticipated the time when my mom would make those desserts so I could over indulge on them in the mixing bowl. However, consuming raw cookie dough seems to popular among Americans. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration has issued an advisory alerting those of us who find pleasure in these uncooked snacks warning us that we could be harming ourselves. “Wait, I’ve heard that,” you say, “but it’s all good because I don’t put eggs in the batter.” Great! Because when you really think about eating raw eggs in anything, it’s kind of gross. But the problem isn’t found in the eggs. It’s in the flour. Flour contains a bacterium that can produce E coli. If it is not heated in some way, for example, being cooked, we are taking the risk of becoming sick. Anything containing uncooked four is hazardous. Parents should be mindful that homemade playdough can be dangerous because even if their children don’t eat it - they’re touching it then touching their mouths. Maybe you think stomach problems and abdominal cramps are worth it. Most people recover within a week after all, but do remember there are cases of
illnesses that last longer. Sometimes, it goes further than that and worse cases can cause kidney failure. There is good news here. You may have to be patient and wait for the cookies to come out of the oven at home, but yes, you can still go buy some cookie dough ice cream to accompany you while you binge watch Grey’s Anatomy. The cookie dough found in ice cream is made with heattreated flour that is safe to eat. The FDA offers these tips for safe food handling to keep you and your family healthy: do not eat any raw cookie dough, cake mix, batter, or any other raw dough or batter product that is supposed to be cooked or baked. Follow package directions for cooking products containing flour at proper temperatures and for specified times. Wash hands, work surfaces, and utensils thoroughly after contact with flour and raw dough products. Keep raw foods separate from other foods while preparing them to prevent any contamination that may be present from spreading. Be aware that flour may spread easily due to its powdery nature. Follow label directions to chill products containing raw dough promptly after purchase until baked. So head on over to Trowbridge’s or Hattie Janes, or speak with your best friends Ben and Jerry and get as much as you want. It’s the best way to beat the heat!
STORY BY ERIN REMKUS
16 HERO
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Americans spend more than $60 billion a year on dieting.
AUGUST 2016
The Body Composition machine is worth $25K+.
DO YOU EVEN LIFT? UNA ALUMNUS OPENS GYM, CHANGES LIVES
NO DOUBT THIS IS FRANKIE GUERRA.
“SHAKE AND BAKE, BABY!”
Working out is a commitment, one that requires not only consistency, but a change in lifestyle. Many people, including myself, attempt the process of exercising and eating healthy in hopes of achieving the perfect body in time for summer. Unfortunately, the majority, including myself again, sign up for gym memberships, workout a few weeks and rarely continue. Now, not only do we not have a rockin’ body to show off at the beach, but we’re stuck with a yearlong membership, draining money out of our accounts monthly. One man, UNA alumnus Frankie Guerra, has made it his mission to help others achieve a healthy body and lifestyle with workouts adjusted to their needs and preferences at No Doubt Fitness in Muscle Shoals. “Everything is personal, from the type of workout music to the room temperature,” Guerra said. “We build confidence and develop a lifestyle for overall health.” Guerra, originally from South Florida, lived and attended high school in Lexington, Alabama. During his senior year, he hired a trainer to workout, which led to his neighbors and friends joining. After his trainer had to undergo surgery, he passed the torch to Frankie, who began leading the exercises.
Instead of saving up for a car, Frankie decided on buying a building to continue training others. “I opened my first gym at 18 in Lexington,” he said. “It was nothing but classes and no memberships, which has been my big thing since day one.” Frankie went to UNA with aspirations of being a bodybuilder and succeeding in modeling for 13 romance novels and four magazine covers in South America and Canada. “I looked great but I felt terrible,” Guerra said. “I was in college and I wasn’t able to have any fun with my friends, I was 21 about to turn 22 and never had a drink because of my diet and regimen. “I hated that, it wasn’t a lifestyle.” Guerra became a personal trainer at Max Fitness and Gold’s Gym. “I realized bodybuilding wasn’t realistic long term, so I got my certification in nutrition online and my degree in business at UNA.” During Guerra’s senior year at UNA, Max Fitness and Gold’s Gym were closing down, leaving him without a place to train others and people to train. Frankie went to work for his dad in marketing with his gym in Lexington still running. On Thanksgiving of 2014, a drunk driver drove through his gym causing
AUGUST 2016
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American dieters make 4 weight loss attempts/year.
HERO 17
Nearly all dieters gain their weight back within 1-5 years.
an estimate of $42,000 in damages. Guerra moved all of his equipment to his garage in Muscle Shoals. Not long after transferring his equipment, one by one, clients reached out to Frankie and he soon found himself lured back into the fitness world, missing the overall feeling of accomplishment of working out and helping others. Guerra ended up having so many people, the city of Muscle Shoals called to shut it down. “Can’t run a business out of your home,” he said. “I didn’t want to open a gym because I hate memberships.” “With memberships, you’re banking on people to be unmotivated, I only wanted highly motivated people.” Frankie, with help from a friend, found his location, a studio at 1315 Avalon Avenue in Muscle Shoals. “We’ve just recently expanded to a second studio with plans on a third.” Guerra utilizes a Body Composition machine from the Mayo Clinic to focus on the needs of each client. “It not only tells me how much you weigh but it also tells me where your water is being held inside or outside your muscle.” The Body Composition machine shows how much muscle you have, how much fat you have, how many calories you burn, your visceral fat and where you’re holding muscle and fat said Guerra. “I originally rented the machine, but ended up signing up a lot of clients,” he said. Guerra said he was looking to create new locations in Florence and Rogersville. “It’s a private studio, one on one, no contract, you pay for what you get,” he said. “Nothing is keeping you here, we want to be so highly motivated that you want to do this, you have a good experience and have fun.” Along with private sessions, No Doubt participates in corporate wellness, in which the crew travels to businesses from Arab to Huntsville, with workout equipment, encouraging a healthy lifestyle and workplace. Frankie Guerra is a continuing education professor at UNA and will be hosting a free lifestyle wellness class August 13 at 10 a.m. The class will include a two-hour seminar on lifestyle, debunking a lot of exercising and nutritional myths and a body composition.
STORY BY SPENCER BROOKS
FRANKIE SHOWING HIS TRAINERS HOW TO TRAIN.
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SPECIAL FEATURE 19
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Uber is available in 487 cities in the world.
Both Zipcar and Uber are available in Huntsville.
TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSPORTATION UNA CONSIDERS OFFERING CAR-SHARING ON CAMPUS Although Florence officials say ridesharing services like Uber aren’t on the city’s radar, UNA administrators and students are mulling options for bringing a new transportation service to campus. If the university continues forward with a plan it’s been researching, students soon could be able to check out or a vehicle using a car-sharing service known as Zipcar. “We’re still in the early stages of research and talking with the company to see whether UNA would be a good fit for their market,” said Vice President for Student Affairs David Shields. “We looked at our parking plan to try and make some improvements, and we talked to some students who had suggested Zipcars.” Companies like Zipcar offer an alternative to traditional car rentals and can be booked for one hour to 7 days in most locations. Access is 24/7. Users are provided a Zipcard that’s used to unlock vehicles, and bookings are arranged through a mobile app for Apple and Android. “Our interest is that students or faculty who maybe want to go off campus for lunch or something like that could check out a Zipcar and not lose their parking space,” Shields said. For students who live on campus, the service potentially could replace the need for having a vehicle, Shields said. “As long as they aren’t depending on a car to get them to work off campus or something like that, they could probably be OK with just having this option,” he said. “It would be perfect for going to the store and running those kinds of errands.” UNA student Jonathan Wells said while some students likely would be interested in the service, he doesn’t think it would become “the next new thing.” “All I heard last year from people
ZOOM ZOOM! and on social media was how much students hated the parking situation on campus,” said Wells, a 19-year-old sophomore. “If you can’t find a parking spot where you live it’s really difficult, so this could be great — especially for people who live on campus like I do.” But, Wells said, pricing and insurance coverage are two things students would need more information about to form a definitive opinion on the service. Those logistics are part of the university’s research process, Shields said. The company currently offers membership packages as low as $7 per month according to its website. Rates vary but include insurance and fuel costs, the company said. Wells said he believes a ridesharing service like Uber might be more beneficial to the campus and Florence communities. However, as of late July, no Uber drivers had contacted the city about obtaining a business license, said Chris
Faust, Florence’s license inspector. “That doesn’t mean they’re not here, but we haven’t heard anything,” Faust said. Uber has taken off in several cities across the country, including Tuscaloosa and Huntsville in Alabama. But, Faust said city officials haven’t begun researching the “unique problems” that come with having the service. Uber is a nontraditional business because, unlike most taxi services, it doesn’t have a physical location in each city in which it operates. That, Faust said, poses questions over how the drivers become licensed to work in the city. “But, until we know they’re here, we aren’t really looking into how we would address that,” Faust said. “If a driver does inquire, we’ll start looking at what other cities are doing.” Phil Stevenson, a purchasing agent and media director for the city’s purchasing department, said because of the other transportation
services offered in Florence and by UNA, he doesn’t see a need for a service like Uber. “We already have one taxi service in the Shoals and to my knowledge, they aren’t overworked,” Stevenson said. Stevenson said UNA’s buses, which often go unused, offer options for student transportation in the downtown area. While the younger generation taking advantage of the buses and taxi service, a new, more technological option could spark their interest, said Jordan Byrd, a 22-year-old UNA student who lives off campus in Florence. “UNA kids are not buying cabs, but Uber is popular within our age group because it gives you so many options for customizing your service,” Byrd said. After downloading the Uber app, users can see a profile of their driver and choose from a three-prong system of prices and service. “When I was in Orlando, to get from the airport a regular cab was going to be $30, but with Uber it was scheduled at $16,” Byrd said. “But because I was a first-time user, I got a free ride. Byrd said Uber’s system for letting riders rate their drivers and see other peoples’ reviews help ensure a quality experience. “It your driver has a bad record, you can get another one, and it lets you see the driver’s location in real time,” he said. “I, personally, have never used a cab in Florence, but I had to call one for a friend who had a terrible experience. I really think Uber would take off if it were available.”
STORY BY ASHLEY REMKUS
20 CALENDAR
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EVENTS
AUGUST 2016
AUGUST 1 - AUGUST 31 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
AUGUST 1
BILLIARDS @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm TRIVIA NIGHT @ Odette, Florence, AL, 8pm
AUGUST 2
TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm 311 @ Iron City, Birmingham, AL, 8pm
AUGUST 3
POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm WAFFLE HOUSE WEDNESDAY @ 1104 Nashville Hwy, Columbia, TN, 10pm
AUGUST 4
TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm KARAOKE @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 8pm
AUGUST 5
FIRST FRIDAY @ Downtown Florence, AL POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm LIVE MUSIC @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 9:30pm PATTERSON HOOD @ 116 E Mobile, Florence, AL, 8pm ART EFFECTS ART SHOW @ Memorial Building, Columbia, TN SUICIDE SQUAD @ Your local theater NINE LIVES @ Your local theater THE FOUNDER @ Your local theater
AUGUST 6
CORINNE BAILEY RAE, AUGUST 16 @ CANNERY BALLROOM, NASHVILLE, TN, 7:30PM
AUGUST 8
BILLIARDS @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, MEGHAN TRAINOR W/HAILEE STEINFELD Spring Hill, TN, 7pm & COMMON KINGS @ Ascend Amphitheater, TRIVIA NIGHT @ Odette, Florence, AL, 8pm Nashville, TN, 7pm BLINK-182, A DAY TO REMEMBER, ONE NIGHT IN VEGAS @ & THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS @ Shoals Community Theatre, Florence, AL, 7pm Ascend Amphitheater, Nashville, TN, 8pm ART EFFECTS ART SHOW @ Memorial Building, Columbia, TN
AUGUST 9
AUGUST 7
TWENTY ONE PILOTS @ Ascend Amphitheater, Nashville, TN, 7pm SHAWN MENDES @ Carl Black Chevy Woods Amphitheater at Fontanel, Whites Creek, TN, 7:30pm
TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK @ Cannery Ballroom, Nashville, TN, 7:30pm ALICE COOPER @ Von Braun Center, Huntsville, AL, 7:30pm
AUGUST 10
POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm WAFFLE HOUSE WEDNESDAY @ 1104 Nashville Hwy, Columbia, TN, 10pm
AUGUST 11
TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm KARAOKE @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 8pm
AUGUST 12
POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm
LIVE MUSIC @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 9:30pm FLOGGING MOLLY W/ FRANK TURNER AND THE SLEEPING SOULS @ Carl Black Chevy Woods Amphitheater at Fontanel, Whites Creek, TN, 7pm ALABAMA CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL @ Florence, AL PETE’S DRAGON @ Your local theater SAUSAGE PARTY @ Your local theater FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS @ Your local theater
AUGUST 14
AUGUST 13
TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm CORRINE BAILEY RAE @ Cannery Ballroom, Nashville, TN, 7:30pm
ALABAMA CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL @ Florence, AL
IF YOU HAVE ANY EVENTS YOU WOULD LIKE LISTED, EMAIL CALENDAR@GETSETMAG.COM
DRAKE & FUTURE @ Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN, 6:30pm ALABAMA CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL @ Florence, AL
AUGUST 15
BILLIARDS @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm TRIVIA NIGHT @ Odette, Florence, AL, 8pm
AUGUST 16
AUGUST 2016
AUGUST 17
POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm WAFFLE HOUSE WEDNESDAY @ 1104 Nashville Hwy, Columbia, TN, 10pm DIXIE CHICKS @ Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN, 7:30pm STEVEN TYLER @ Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN. 7:30pm IN THIS MOMENT @ Cannery Ballroom, Nashville, TN, 7pm DEF LEPPARD W/ REO SPEEDWAGON AND TESLA IN PELHAM @ Oak Mountain Amphitheatre, Pelham, AL, 7pm
AUGUST 18
CALENDAR 21
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TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm KARAOKE @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 8pm IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT PRESENTED BY THE ZODIAC PLAYERS @ Shoals Theatre, Florence, AL, 7:30pm
AUGUST 19
POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm LIVE MUSIC @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 9:30pm IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT PRESENTED BY THE ZODIAC PLAYERS @ Shoals Theatre, Florence, AL, 7:30pm BEN HUR @ Your local theater WAR DOGS @ Your local theater KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS @ Your local theater
AUGUST 20
2ND ANNUAL JUST A CALL AWAY 5K & FUN RUN @ Uptown Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 8am IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT PRESENTED BY THE ZODIAC PLAYERS @ Shoals Theatre, Florence, AL, 7:30pm COREY SMITH W/ TYLER REEVE & MUSCADINE BLOODLINE @ Tin Roof, Birmingham, AL, 7pm
AUGUST 21
FIFTH HARMONY @ Carl Black Chevy Woods Amphitheater at Fontanel, Whites Creek, TN, 7pm IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT PRESENTED BY THE ZODIAC PLAYERS @ Shoals Theatre, Florence, AL, 2pm
AUGUST 22
BILLIARDS @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm TRIVIA NIGHT @ Odette, Florence, AL, 8pm
AUGUST 23
TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm
AUGUST 24
POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm WAFFLE HOUSE WEDNESDAY @ 1104 Nashville Hwy, Columbia, TN, 10pm
AUGUST 25
TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm KARAOKE @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 8pm DRAKE & FUTURE @ Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA, 7pm THE BIG DEAL @ UNA Amphitheatre, Florence, AL, 6pm BIRMINGHAM FASHION WEEK 2016 @ Boutwell Auditorium, Birmingham, AL
AUGUST 26
POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm LIVE MUSIC @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 9:30pm DRAKE & FUTURE @ Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA, 7pm DMX @ Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, TN, 8pm BIRMINGHAM FASHION WEEK 2016 @ Boutwell Auditorium, Birmingham, AL UNA LION NIGHT @ Downtown Florence, AL, 4pm
IF YOU HAVE ANY EVENTS YOU WOULD LIKE LISTED, EMAIL CALENDAR@GETSETMAG.COM
MECHANIC: RESURRECTION @ Your local theater DON’T BREATHE @ Your local theater
AUGUST 27
BIRMINGHAM FASHION WEEK 2016 @ Boutwell Auditorium, Birmingham, AL
AUGUST 29
BILLIARDS @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm TRIVIA NIGHT @ Odette, Florence, AL, 8pm
AUGUST 30
TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm
AUGUST 31
POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm WAFFLE HOUSE WEDNESDAY @ 1104 Nashville Hwy, Columbia, TN, 10pm
22 MOVIES
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A small-town diner in Conn. inspired the show.
Florence’s population is 40K, while Stars Hollow’s is 10K.
WHERE YOU LEAD, I WILL FOLLOW THE REVIVAL OF GILMORE GIRLS If expressions like, “Oy with the poodles already!” or “Copper boom!” make you smile, or if Al’s Pancake World and Luke’s Diner are your restaurants of choice, or if you can’t live without an IV of coffee, then chances are, you’re a Gilmore Girls fan. The show ran from 2000-2007 and featured single-mom, witty Lorelai, and bright daughter, Rory, in their small and quirky fictional town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. Fans have long waited for a revival to solve mysteries many are dying to know (Do Lorelai and Luke end up together? Where in the world is Rory?). Thankfully, the show is returning for four, 90-minute episodes. Netflix will release the show on November 25, 2016. The release is titled “A Year in the Life,” and each episode will feature one season: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall, currently listed in that order. One of the best parts of the series, besides the sharp dialogue and loving motherdaughter duo, is the location. Stars Hollow provides a support
system for the Gilmore girls, and it’s easy to fall in love with the townspeople. In many ways, Stars Hollow could be compared to our own Florence, Alabama. One of the favorite characters on the show is Luke Danes, local diner owner. He is a hard worker, constantly waking before sunrise to prepare the diner for the day and serving his customers. His diner has become a meeting spot for the town, where the locals gather for coffee and stay for the conversation. He serves the classic diner food, like hamburgers, chili cheese fries, and milkshakes. Perhaps the best part of Luke is how loyal he is to family. His father originally opened a hardware store, and after his death, Luke kept the place but changed it to a diner. Just like Luke inherited his father’s store, Trowbridge’s has remained in the same location and within the family for just shy of a hundred years! Local businessman Don Trowbridge is the owner of Trowbridge’s Ice Cream and Sandwich Shop located in downtown Florence. This store has been around since 1918, when his grandfather Paul opened the place, making it run by three generations. Don still does everything that his grandfather and father once did—having a soda fountain, hand-dipping ice cream, making shakes. Another beloved Gilmore Girls’ character is Miss Patty. She owns Miss Patty’s School of Dance and choreographs recitals and plays constantly. Similarly, Laura Foster maintains Laura’s Studio of Performing Arts in Florence. Just like Miss Patty, Laura has been involved in the performing arts all of her life and has television, acting, modeling, and dancing awards. She began teaching in 1987 and is the studio owner, which opened in 1990. Her studio offers a variety of dance.
WHAT THEY TACKLE, THEY CONQUER. “We offer classes in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, contemporary, tumbling, competition, and more,” Foster said. “For any event in the community that asks us, we send kids to do performances, especially for charities. Additionally, we sponsor things that our students are a part of.” Miss Patty and Laura are similar through their dedication to the field of dance and performance, their students, and their communities. One of my favorite characters is Sookie St. James, Lorelai’s best friend and chef of the Dragonfly Inn. Ashley Terry has worked as a chef at the Marriott Shoals for five years. “I received my bachelor’s in culinary arts from UNA and master’s from the University of Alabama in restaurant and hospitality management,” Terry explained. She feels a connection with Sookie because, “we are both perfectionists when it comes to our food. I can also be quite quirky like her.” She loves working with people and getting to use her creative skills and experimenting to make tasty new treats. Just like Sookie, who is a proud resident of Stars Hollow and believes in giving back when possible, Terry is involved with projects around the Shoals, including a
nutritional program for children in the community, and the 610’s project Tables of Ten Event. Sookie and Terry are similar through their focus on being the best chefs possible, fun personality, and caring about others around their communities. Typically a sign of a good show is when you continue to think of the characters when the show ends. You wonder, “What would this character be doing right now?” We can make comparisons that carry over from the fictional world of Stars Hollow into real people, made of flesh and bone, who represent our own community with pride.
STORY BY ALLIE SOCKWELL
24 SPOTLIGHT
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SAY CHEESE!
SET READERS IN ACTION
AUGUST 2016
PHOTOS BY COURTNEY TULLEY, WILL COREY AND DUSTIN COAN
SHOALS PRIDEFEST DOWNTOWN FLORENCE, JUNE 18, PHOTOS BY COURTNEY TULLEY
SANDRA GRIGSBY, JAMES WRIGHT, MAX DEAN, LAURA LOPEZ, ALICIA KELLY AND REBECCA LOPEZ OF MOSAIC & CREATIVE EDGE SALON
BEN NEWBURN, DWIGHT COX AND JAMARCUS WESS
KAM ABERNATHY, DARIAN DARQLY AND ADAM DARKLY
PATRICK LINDSAY AND RYAN LINDLEY
EAST MOBILE STREET
AUGUST 2016
SPOTLIGHT 25
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ANNASTASIA LA PATIENCE AND JACOB EZELL
KRISTA SPARKS AND JAMIE SEGO
KATE TAYLER HUNT
ERICA VALENTINE AND HOLLY SHERROD OF SAFEPLACE
REGGIE KILLEN, SKIP MARTIN AND SETH THOMPSON
TOM RISHER AND JAMIE SEGO
THE NEDS
26 SPOTLIGHT
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AUGUST 2016
SPIRIT OF FREEDOM MCFARLAND PARK, JULY 4, PHOTOS BY WILL COREY
AN ABSTRACT THEORY
SKINNY MOLLY
AN ABSTRACT THEORY
SKINNY MOLLY
AUGUST 2016
SPOTLIGHT 27
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W.C. HANDY MUSIC FESTIVAL SPRING PARK, JULY 24, PHOTOS BY DUSTIN COAN
DONNIE FRITTS
LENNY LEBLANC
KELVIN HOLLEY
CHRISTINE OHLMAN
AARON BLADES
TAYLOR CHEATWOOD AND BARRY BILLINGS
JOEY FLIPPEN BASS
WALTER OWEN
W.C. HANDY MUSIC FESTIVAL 116 E. MOBILE, JULY 27, PHOTOS BY DUSTIN COAN
28 GAMING
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AUGUST 2016
AUGUST 2016
GAMING 29
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Overwatch’s open Beta attracted 9.7 million players.
Overwatch made $269 million it’s first month.
OVERWATCH IN A NUTSHELL
OVERWATCH IS HERE AND IT’S NOT LEAVING ANYTIME SOON Whether you be a gamer or an avid user of social media, at some point you’ve played or seen a meme on social media of the new and incredibly popular game from Blizzard Entertainment (World of Warcraft, Diablo, Starcraft), Overwatch. This multi-player firstperson shooter, featuring a roster of unique hero and villain based characters, was released in May of this year on Xbox One, Playstation 4, and PC. Over 7 million people were playing the game within the first week of its debut. With its Pixar-like design and unique, competitive gameplay, Overwatch has received top, almost perfect, ratings from critics such as IGN, GameInformer and Metacritic. Overwatch pits players against each other, online, in teams of six. They compete in missions involving either securing a position, attacking a position, holding a position, or escorting an objective. The game allows players to choose from a roster of 21 characters all with different abilities, from a tree-hugging Eskimo who freezes enemies and creates giant ice walls, to a cyborg ninja with a double jump and throwing stars. Each character belongs to one of four
classifications: offense characters (the ones that run around and shoot), defense characters (the ones that build obstacles and attack from afar), tank characters (the big guys who can take and deal a lot of damage) and support character (the ones that make sure everyone stays nice and healthy). Character choice is crucial for success in Overwatch, not only does it affect your game, but your entire team’s. Although you may be amazing as a genius gorilla with a lightning prod, six of the same character might not work out in winning the match. Overwatch encourages teamwork, even to the point of announcing team weaknesses on the character selection screen. Learning how to play with more than one character not only benefits the player, but allows for some flexibility just in case your favorite character is already selected by another player. Unlike previous popular multiplayer, first person shooters (Call of Duty, Battlefield, Halo) your character isn’t personalized for your own gameplay. The abilities assigned to each character are permanent
and can only be played as is. Some characters move faster and others hit stronger, but each one has their own strengths and weaknesses. Overwatch forces players to learn how to succeed with specific regulations of abilities. The game rewards players with experience points which leads to leveling up. Upon each level achieved, players are awarded a loot box, which contains different skins/ costumes, voice lines and animations for each characters. Overwatch also utilizes microtransactions in which players can pay money to receive more loot boxes, bettering the chances of getting a more desirable costume for your favorite character. Along with distinctive gameplay and a diverse range of characters, Overwatch contains expansive unique maps including a row of movie sets, western terrain and Egyptian ruins. Each map is specific towards each mission with nods to current and even future playable characters. According to game director Jeff Kaplan, Blizzard will release new characters and maps via updates instead of as downloadable content, sustaining the statement with the recent release of the new character Ana Amari, an Egyptian sniper who heals teammates with her bullets and puts her enemies to sleep, literally. Not only does this mean new add-ons for free, but an opportunity to avoid staleness in gameplay, giving players more options in strategy. As of June, Blizzard has created a new game mode known as “competitive play.” Every Overwatch player must complete ten trial matches to compete and depending
on the outcome of each, a player is ranked accordingly to his or her performance. If players aren’t interested in the difficult experience and higher stakes of competitive play, the game offers four other modes to participate in: ‘Player vs. AI’ (team of six online players versus computercontrolled opponents), ‘Quick Match’ (casual team versus team matchmaking, no stakes), ‘Custom Match’ (player personalized matches) and the ‘Weekly Brawl’ (a new match updated every week featuring forced, unique rules, such as playing as a specified character only or certain class of hero). Although not containing a story in the actual game, Overwatch has a series of animated shorts which can be viewed either from their main website or YouTube, digital comics, via the Overwatch site, and an upcoming graphic novel which all give backstory and insight of the characters players fight as in the game. Dialogue between characters in the game and unlocked voice lines also allude to more depth and origins of the Overwatch universe. Overwatch is one of the top games of 2016 on all consoles including PC. With its automatic replay value, free expansions to the game and the large, mysterious, universe, gamers around the world might be playing this game for years to come.
STORY BY SPENCER BROOKS
30 ART
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Artist Ben South is a 1970 UNA graduate.
AUGUST 2016
Since 2010, South has written 1,600+ aphorisms.
ONE-LINER DINER RED DOOR CAFÉ: HOME TO BEN SOUTH’S WITTY ART DISPLAY Tucked into the corner of 4th Avenue Southeast in Cullman, away from the hustle and bustle of downtown, sits a modern day, smalltown Southern eatery. White window frames, a colorful flower bed, and a porch just big enough for a wrought iron patio set makes it easy to spot the Red Door Café. Though known for its menu of southern fixings like purple hull peas, buttered carrots, and chicken and dumplings, it’s become more than just a place to eat: it’s a community meeting place to sit and chat about the goings on around town and across the nation. It’s also an art gallery for local artists like Ben South, who is a 1970 University of North Alabama graduate. My Zen garden has lousy WiFi. I love to play at sunrise before all the smelly people get up. Take time to reflect and procrastinate. Doubt breeds knowledge. Those are just a few of the 300 short and witty Southern sayings in South’s project that are displayed
BEN SOUTH WITH HIS SIGNATURE WORK. on the walls of the Café, entitled the ‘One-Liner Diner.’ “Everything feels like an original thought,” South said. “I want the people to have a good time while I’m here. Cullman has been terrific for me to create in. I don’t have an excuse not to be writing or painting.” Underscoring that South’s original media was a typewriter, the oneliners are printed with an array of typewriter fonts. A collection of vintage typewriters also adds to the presentation. “When I first talked to Bill McCartney (owner of the Red Door Café) to tell him I did one-liners, I figured I had 200 good ones to use,” South said. “I went and looked at my
archives and I had 1,600!” The art was first installed in the main room of the Café in August of 2015. Since then, people from across the United States and other countries have come to savor the one-liners where South’s slogan is, “Laughter is delish.” Because there are so many pieces, the display is changed once a month. “I write two a day; one in the morning while I’m drinking my coffee, and the other one at bourbon-30 p.m.,” he said. “I begin with twice as many words and eventually whittle it down to the final product.” South’s interest in being an active aphorist started on a trip to Venice,
Italy in the summer of 1990 to attend the international art festival known as the Venice Biennale. For that show, the United States was represented by text artist Jenny Holzer, who had arranged for her strident, political statements to be created in costly materials such as chiseled marble and hundreds of LED lights throughout the American pavilion. While appreciating the design and the Holzer’s truisms, it reminded South that he had a notebook of original, mostly fun one-liners he could install in an artful way. “I was really engaged in the aesthetics of Jenny’s, but I didn’t like the heavy feeling they had,” South said. “So, my thought was what if I could do something that was witty and could give people laughs.” In recent months, South has expanded upon his one-liner collection, and is now writing what he calls headliners as well. He explained that there are three dates to each one, all of which he said are happy days in Cullman. In addition, his ‘One-Liner American Diner” is being made into a full, Broadwayintended musical with himself writing the song lyrics and libretto. The music is being composed by New Yorker Stephen Elkins. “I’m hoping for a concert version premiere in Birmingham later this summer.” All profits from the premiere will support Alabama Possible, a nonprofit organization that removes barriers to prosperity in Alabama through education, collaboration, and advocacy. South is also passionate about hunger-stricken children in Alabama. In support of his mission, and with the help of the partnership with the Red Door Café, a portion of each of the $5 prints of his aphorisms in the ‘One-Liner American Diner’ and related merchandise contribute to Knapsacks, a child food charity in Cullman County.
STORY BY ASHLEY GRAVES
AUGUST 2016
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FREESTYLE
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