SPORTS
16
Ashley Priess bounces back strong
Wednesday, January 18 18, 2012
LIFESTYLES
6
Donald Glover offers a refreshing look at rap
Serving S i the h U University i i off Al Alabama b since i 1894
Vol. 118, Issue 71
City plan takes new direction
Mixed zoning will control way city is rebuilt after storm By Rich Robinson Staff Reporter rarobinson2@crimson.ua.edu
The Tuscaloosa City Council passed a zoning ordinance unanimously Tuesday night that will create new mixed zones in areas impacted by the April 27 tornado. The vote followed a public hearing that was attended by a few dozen local citizens and activists. The vote was the culmination of months of work by members of the council and their staffs. Before Tuesday’s meeting, the Council hosted more than half a dozen community meetings that saw an attendance of approximately 2,000 residents. Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox said he personally spoke to dozens of business leaders and other citizens during the run up to the vote. “I have invested a lot of time and energy because I felt it was so important to the future of this city,” Maddox said after the meeting. Robert Parsons, a Tuscaloosa property owner, supported the change but did express a concern with the Council during the hearing. “I just want to make sure that we make infrastructure improvements,” Parson said. “For example, to make sure that the traffic doesn’t get bottled up in the intersections along 15th Street. But overall, good work.” CW | Mitchell Hughes
See LAKE, page 6
The Tuscaloosa City Council unanimously approved a contract for removal of storm debris from Forest Lake.
Phi Mu sisters with their cookbook. The book is currently for sale on Amazon. com for $25.
Kirkpatrick arrested for marijuana possession Arrest could hurt former Tide cornerback’s NFL prospects By Taylor Holland News Editor newsdesk@cw.ua.edu Former University of Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick and former teammate Chris Rogers were arrested early Tuesday morning on charges of marijuana possession. The Manatee County (Fla.) Sherriff’s Office website said both Kirkpatrick and Rogers were arrested at 12:48 a.m. and charged with possessing less than 20 grams of marijuana. Kirkpatrick, 22, was a passenger in a vehicle that was both rented and driven by Rogers, 25, according to an incident report obtained by al.com. The vehicle was stopped by a Palmetto Police Department officer because it was being driven on the wrong side of the road, the
Mugshots of Dre Kirkpatrick (far left) and Chris Rogers (near left).
website said. Rogers admitted to purchasing the marijuana, while Kirkpatrick admitted to being in the vehicle when the purchase was made but said he did not know at the time that drugs were being purchased, according to the police report obtained by al.com. Both men were under the influence of drugs at the
Submitted Photo time of the arrest, the report said. Radio personality Paul Finebaum said the arrest of Kirkpatrick, a junior who declared he would forgo his senior year at UA and enter the NFL Draft last week, certainly wouldn’t help his draft stock.
See ARREST, page 8 CW| Jingyu Wan
Tyner moves on after drug arrest City Councilman focused on residents, Alberta’s recovery By Stephen N. Dethrage Assistant News Editor sndethrage@crimson.ua.edu
“It was humiliating, knowing I was not in possession of drugs, but unfortunately that was the charge, because of being in the same household where apparently there were drugs.”
City Councilman Kip Tyner said Tuesday night that, in spite of his December arrest for possession of cocaine and the program he has enrolled in as part of a plea to clear — Kip Tyner, City Councilman his record, his support has not lessened, he will not resign from city running for reelection in 2013. “It was not easy continuing to council and he’s looking forward to
serve on the council, I can assure you of that,” Tyner said. “It was embarrassing. It was humiliating, knowing I was not in possession of drugs, but unfortunately that was the charge, because of being in the same household where apparently there were drugs. I was a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
See TYNER, page 8
CORRECTION In the Tuesday, Jan. 17 edition of The Crimson White, it was reported that Jeremiah Jones, owner of The Dixie, changed the bar’s name from The Jupiter to The Dixie when he bought the bar. Jones bought the
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By Jessica Ruffin Contributing Writer Members of Phi Mu sorority are preserving the memories of the sisters they lost this past year in a cookbook consisting of recipes from active and former members from the Alpha Zeta chapter. “Love in our Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of Alpha Zeta,” was created to honor Ashton Alford, Nicole Francois and Ashley Harrison, the three Phi Mu sisters who passed away last year. Because Harrison lost her life in the April 27 tornado, proceeds from cookbook sales will go to the relief effort.
INSIDE today’s paper
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bar in 2005 and changed the name a few years later; the bar’s name will change back to The Jupiter this year. The Crimson White regrets the error and is happy to set the record straight.
Phi Mu sisters cook up tribute
P.O. Box 870170 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 Newsroom: 348-6144 Fax: 348-8036 | Advertising: 348-7845 | Classifieds: 348-7355 Letters, op-eds: letters@cw.ua.edu Press releases: newsdesk@cw.ua.edu
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“This all began because we wanted to find a unique way to honor our sisters we lost last year and give back to the community after the devastation of the tornado,” said Kelly Petro, a senior and one of the main architects behind the book. All the proceeds from the book will go to Project Team Up, an organization that helps rebuild homes destroyed by the storm. Petro began planning the cookbook after a phone call from a fellow Phi Mu sister, Sara Seaton, who dreamt up the idea a few weeks after the tornado.
See COOKBOOK, page 10
WEATHER today Clear
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Page 2• Wednesday, January 18, 2012
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THURSDAY
What: Bob Jones High School Exhibition 2012 Where: Sella-Granata Art
What: Last day to register,
What: Transfer Meet and
add or drop a course without a grade of W
Greet
When: All day
Gallery, Woods Hall
When: 10 a.m. to noon What: Bob Jones High School
VIDEO: ZEN BUDDHIST PRIEST Zen Buddhist priest Zoketsu Norman Fischer visited the University on Tuesday, Jan. 17. Fischer spoke with students in the Ferguson Center about compassion and religion.
What: Zen Buddhist Priest and
Exhibition 2012
Poet Norman Fischer
Where: Sella-Granata Art
Where: Bloom Hillel Center
Gallery, Woods Hall
Where: 121 B.B. Comer Hall
When: 6:30 to 8 p.m.
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
When: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
What: Department of Art and
What: Pacifica String Quartet
What: A Presentation on the
Art History 2012 Faculty Biennial Exhibition
Where: Sarah Moody Gallery
When: 4 p.m.
SoRelle Wyckoff opinions editor
ON THE MENU LAKESIDE LUNCH
DINNER
Montreal Steak Fresh Steamed Green Beans Butternut Squash Mashed Potatoes BBQ Chicken Pizza Tofu Fajitas (Vegetarian)
Country Meatloaf Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes Steamed Broccoli with Cheese Sauce Ancho Succotash Turkey Rice Soup Vegetable Enchiladas (Vegetarian)
Tyler Crompton web editor
ADVERTISING MCTcampus Jerry Yang, co-founder and former CEO of Yahoo, has announced his retirement after a 17 year reign over the company.
Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang leaves company From MCT Campus
Nikki Amthor 348-8742
Tori Hall 348-6153 Rob Clark 348-4367 Will DeShazo 348-8041 Jessica West 348-8054 Ben Gordon 348-8042 Lauren Gallas 348-8042 Coleman Richards Special Projects Account Rep The Crimson White is the community newspaper of The University of Alabama. The Crimson White is an editorially free newspaper produced by students. The University of Alabama cannot influence editorial decisions and editorial opinions are those of the editorial board and do not represent the official opinions of the University. Advertising offices of The Crimson White are on the first floor, Student Publications Building, 923 University Blvd. The advertising mailing address is P.O. Box 2389, Tuscaloosa, AL 35403-2389. The Crimson White (USPS 138020) is published four times weekly when classes are in session during Fall and Spring Semester except for the Monday after Spring Break and the Monday after Thanksgiving, and once a week when school is in session for the summer. Marked calendar provided. The Crimson White is provided for free up to three issues. Any other papers are $1.00. The subscription rate for The Crimson White is $125 per year. Checks should be made payable to The University of Alabama and sent to: The Crimson White Subscription Department, P.O. Box 2389, Tuscaloosa, AL 35403-2389. The Crimson White is entered as periodical postage at Tuscaloosa, AL 35401. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Crimson White, P.O. Box 2389, Tuscaloosa, AL 35403-2389. All material contained herein, except advertising or where indicated otherwise, is Copyright © 2010 by The Crimson White and protected under the “Work Made for Hire” and “Periodical Publication” categories of the U.S. copyright laws. Material herein may not be reprinted without the expressed, written permission of The Crimson White.
LUNCH
Harira Turkey Jasmine Rice Steamed Green Beans Fried Cream Cheese Wontons Roasted Red Peppers Chicago Style Hot Dogs Spanikopita
Chicken & Vegetable Teriyaki with Rice Salisbury Steak Indian Style Yellow Rice Corn on the Cob Grilled Zucchini Mushroom Tortellini Rustica (Vegetarian)
Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Sauce Fried Okra Italian Green Beans Macaroni & Cheese Chicken & Provolone Ciabatta Sandwich Grilled Vegetable Quesadilla (Vegetarian)
ON CAMPUS
Crown Awards Program. Only eight other newspapers in the country made it to the finalist stage. The publications are judged by a panel of student media advisers and professional journalists who consider content, design, coverage photography, writing and editing. Finalists will be named as either Gold or Silver Crowns at an award ceremony in New York in March.
Deadline for Mental Health Monologues essays
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FRESH FOOD
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The Crimson White was recently named a finalist for the Gold or Silver Crown Award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association for its Spring 2011 issues. Crown Awards are the highest recognition given nationally by the CSPA to a student print or online medium for overall excellence. A total of 1,351 newspapers, magazines and yearbooks published during the 2010-2011 academic year were eligible for judging in the 2012
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The Crimson White wins Crown Award from Columbia University
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When: Noon to 1:30 p.m.
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Where: 211 Carmichael Hall
Submit your events to
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What: Coffee Hour
Where: Moody Music Building
Victor Luckerson editor-in-chief editor@cw.ua.edu
Taylor Holland news editor newsdesk@cw.ua.edu
Where: Student Services Center, Room 101F
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
EDITORIAL
Will Tucker assistant managing editor wjtucker1@gmail.com
FRIDAY
Yahoo co-founder and former CEO Jerry Yang has resigned from the Sunnyvale Internet company’s board of directors and will no longer be a part of the company in any fashion, Yahoo announced Tuesday. In a news release, Yahoo said Yang would resign from the board “and all other positions with the company,” in addition to leadership positions within the company’s subsidiaries in Asia. “My time at Yahoo, from its founding to the present, has encompassed some of the most exciting and rewarding experiences of my life. However, the time has come for me to pursue other interests outside of Yahoo,” Yang said in the news release. Yang founded Yahoo in 1995 with David Filo, and the company soon became one of the greatest success stories in the early days of the Internet. He later served as CEO from mid-2007 to early 2009, a period most notable for Yahoo’s refusal of a buyout offer from Microsoft that valued Yahoo at up to $33 a share - a level it has never again approached. Yang stepped aside for Carol Bartz, who was CEO for less than three years before being forced out in September; her permanent successor, former PayPal President Scott Thompson,
took the helm of the company just last week. “Jerry leaves behind a legacy of innovation and customer focus for this iconic brand, having shaped our culture by fostering a spirit of innovation that began 17 years ago and continues to grow even stronger today,” Thompson said in the news release. Since Bartz’s dismissal, Yahoo has been investigating routes for changes in ownership. The company has reportedly received two offers for a minority ownership, including an offer from private-equity firm Silver Lake Partners, Microsoft and venture-capital firm Andreessen Horowitz that covers 15 percent of Yahoo at a price as high as $3 billion. TPG Capital reportedly made the other bid for part-ownership of the company. Yang, who owns a 3.6 percent stake in the company, has reportedly been closely involved in negotiations, so much so that a major Yahoo shareholder, hedge fund manager Daniel Loeb, called for his ouster in early November and claimed Yang was working in his own interests. “It is now clear that (Yang) is simply not aligned with shareholders,” Loeb wrote in a letter to Yahoo that said Yang was attempting to negotiate a deal that kept the company in “friendly hands.”
Essay submissions to Mental Health Monologues are due no later than Friday, Jan. 20. Mental Health Monologues is a project that collects anonymous essay submissions from students on campus about their personal struggles with mental illness. The submissions are then used as monologues performed by actors during a staged performance to raise awareness of men-
tal health and help erase any stigmas surrounding the illness. Students who are interested in submitting their stories can visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/L28VX2V and follow the instructions for submission. For more information email Becca Kastner at rmkastner@crimson. ua.edu.
Office of Sustainability wants students to go green The Office of Sustainability strives for a better environment through recycling, reducing consumption and educating others on the importance of sustainability. The Go Green website highlights sustainable projects and provides ways to connect students, faculty, staff and the surrounding communities with “green” initiatives on and off campus. Visit www.gogreen.
ua.edu to see posts of upcoming events and news. People who are aware of any green initiatives that are not currently highlighted on the website can email the Office of Sustainability at gogreen@fa.ua.edu or leave a message on the website. Follow UA’s green initiatives on Facebook by searching for the “University of Alabama Sustainability” page.
Hands on Tuscaloosa to be held in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The University of Alabama Community Service Center and several student organizations are hosting a Hands on Tuscaloosa service day in honor of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Saturday, Jan. 21, from 9 a.m.-noon. UA students will have the opportunity to work on projects including tornado disaster relief and working with city schools. Volunteers will disperse around the city to work with community partners and local nonprofit organizations.
TYNER
Continued from page 1 “I just chose to move forward the very next day,” Tyner said. “I got out, I went to church, went out to eat, did my TV show on Monday and came [to City Hall] on Tuesday.” Tyner said the diversion program he is in, C.L.E.A.N., has tested him for drugs in his system, and he has been clean in every instance. “I’m in a diversion program that’s offered to first time offenders. I was offered the same opportunity that anyone else would have been that has had no previous records at all, so I took the plea,” Tyner said. “It was not a guilty plea. It’s been reported that way, but that’s not correct. Upon completing the project all charges will be dismissed and completely stricken from the record, as if it never happened.” Tyner enrolled in the program on Dec. 30 and said the program was scheduled to run for a year and a month. He said the program meets every Monday, Tuesday,
Registration for the event is currently available on the CSC website, volunteer.ua.edu, through the Hands on Tuscaloosa link. All students interested in participating must pre-register by noon on Friday, Jan. 20. Check-in will begin at 9 a.m. the day of the event in the UA Student Recreation Center pool parking lot. Service will last until noon with a lunch served afterward at the Recreation Center. Transportation will be provided to all service locations.
To the questions of people asking if I should resign, I say absolutely not. I have no reason to resign. I’m going to look at this as a great challenge and opportunity, and be very positive about it. — Kip Tyner and Wednesday for several hours. Tyner called the arrest and subsequent calls for his resignation embarrassing but said that his constituents have not wavered in their support of the councilman, who was first elected in 1997. “The support of the people has been absolutely remarkable. I stopped counting after 5,000 texts and emails from people who care about me, not counting voicemails or personal visits or phone calls. I’ve teared up quite a bit from people’s love and support and encouragement. It’s something that through this horrible adversity it will make me 10 times stronger than I ever thought I could be.” “My colleagues have been tremendous,” Tyner said. “This department, the city, they have supported me tre-
mendously.” Tyner said that apart from completing the program and clearing his record, his goals for his future as a councilman remain the same. “My goals moving forward are rebuilding Alberta and my entire district,” Tyner said. “I lost 60 percent of my council district in that tornado. It was the largest hit that a municipal district took in the entire country. “To the questions of people asking if I should resign, I say absolutely not,” he said. “I have no reason to resign. I’m going to look at this as a great challenge and opportunity, and be very positive about it. I want to get this behind me and then move on to my full responsibilities not only in my business, but also my duties as a councilman, and I look forward to running for reelection in 2013.”
The Crimson White
NEWS
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
3
SGA Senate plans to focus on engagement, ethics In spring, senators will look to revise ethics code, allow students to write bills and repair SGA’s image By Elizabeth Manning Contributing Writer The Student Government Association begins the spring semester with a flood of new ideas and plans for the future. In the coming weeks, several bills will be proposed, including one that would allow any student on campus to have the opportunity to write legislation. Students can go on the SGA website and submit a piece of legislation they want passed, and have it presented on the senate floor. Ryan Flamerich, Speaker of the Senate, said this bill was the first in a series aimed at giving students more of a voice within the SGA. “We hope that this bill will
really expand the power of students on campus in relation to the SGA,” Flamerich said. Another bill planned for later this month will give students the right to argue any legislation. Students can petition and have their case heard in front of the judicial board. The Senate Ethics Code is another piece of legislation proposed to extend powers to students. Following events in September that led to the resignation of many SGA members, the code will hold the senate accountable. The code is designed to hold officials accountable and will allow the SGA to withhold funding and payment from officials who are not doing their jobs.
need for such a plan, with
around 10 percent of unused
necessary,” Bell said. Bell also said they had noticed SGAs at other colleges across the country implementing similar plans, such as in California, where tuition rose 8 percent in fall 2011. Funding for the student meals could come from a variety of places. Bell mentioned the idea of funding through the administration in the form of gift cards, but the most probable idea would be to use the leftover meals of students on meal plans at the university. While the plan is still not definite, the SGA will negotiate with Aramark to use
The plan is currently projected to be available for students in the fall 2012 semester. Senate Communications Director Austin Gaddis stressed that the main goal of SGA for the semester. “In light of all that happened with SGA last semester, we have really tried to make SGA something that is truly representative of all students,” Gaddis said. “With the improved senate, the overlying theme we can take from it is that we are doing all we can to make the students feel more involved and welcome.”
In light of all that happened with SGA last semester, we have over a third of the state unem- student meals and to be placed really tried to make SGA something that is truly representa- ployed and tuition hikes, stu- into a fund for students who dents don’t have the funds are deemed in need of them. tive of all students. — Austin Gaddis A battle of the bands conOther plans for the spring semester include a permanent cert is also in the works. It memorial located at Marr’s will feature a number of local Spring, beside ten Hoor Hall, and student bands, and the honoring the students who proceeds will go to the SGA died in the April 27 tornado, scholarship endowment fund as well as any students who and towards a student body have passed while attending marker on the 9/11 memorial in NYC. UA. Elliott Bell, a member of the Senator Kirkland Back and student affairs committee on Creative Campus are planning the SGA Senate, is currently the Druid City Arts Festival, a week of events dedicated partnering with Jonathan to the arts, while another Thompson and SGA Attorney senator is planning a series General David Simpson to of events highlighting Black spearhead a plan to help feed hungry students at UA. History Month. “Basically we’ve seen a
Be The Match foundation hosts bone marrow drive By Ashanka Kumari Staff Reporter akumar317@bellsouth.net
Each year, thousands of people of all ages are diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma and other life-threatening diseases, and for many of these patients a life-saving marrow transplant from a matching donor is their best hope for a cure, according to a Be The Match foundation information sheet. Martin Townsend, a 20-yearold biology major at the University, was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia in 2011, said Rod Gunn, an account executive for the foundation. Because Townsend does not
have a family member whose HLA tissue-type matches his own, he must rely on the Be The Match Registry in hopes of finding a potential unrelated donor whose tissue type matches his own, Gunn said. “A patient like Martin has a 30 percent chance of finding a family match,” Gunn said. “Martin’s match is likely to be found in a potential donor of the same racial or ethnic background as Martin. Because Martin is African American, his chances of finding a matching donor are minimal because African Americans, like most minority groups, are severely underrepresented on the Be The Match Registry.” Rhiannon Hedges, a junior
biology major, said that she and others chose to honor Townsend, who had to drop out of school last spring because of his leukemia. “I chose to specifically honor him with this drive because we have been friends since high school,” Hedges said. “Also, it is often difficult to find a perfect match for minorities because they are so underrepresented in the registry.” Be The Match is the marrow donor registry operated by the National Marrow Donor Program, Gunn said. “Be The Match helps patients who need a bone marrow transplant in order to survive,” said Chris Hutt, director of health professions advising at the
Students wait to seek dental care at home By Heather Lightsey and Casey Voyles Contributing Writers
When students at the University of Alabama need access to medical care, they go to the Student Health Center on campus. However, students seeking dental care while in Tuscaloosa might not find it so easy. Judy Davis, quality improvement coordinator for the Student Health Center, said while the SHC does not offer a dental program, students can call for referrals to local dentist offices. “As of now, if a student calls in for a general teeth cleaning, we offer a list of all local dental offices in the Tuscaloosa area,” Davis said. If a student presents the SHC with an urgent problem, the referral nurse will check various factors including the type of insurance the student has and what type of dental
care is needed before referring the student to a dentist in Tuscaloosa, she said. “Hopefully as we continue to grow, [a dental program] will be a service added in the future,” Davis said. Though most students do wait to visit a dentist in their respective hometowns, there are still some students who might want or need to visit a dentist while here. In those cases, students cannot simply make an appointment with a dentist on campus as they can with medical doctors at the Student Health Center. While freshman psychology major Kaila Wiggins brushes twice a day and flosses, she admits she would rather wait and visit her dentist at home. “I feel so much more comfortable with my dentist because I’ve been going to him since I was little,” Wiggins said. Asia Stephens, a junior majoring in human development and family studies, agreed with
Wiggins in that she waits to see a dentist while at home in Illinois. “I see a dentist every six months to get my teeth cleaned and just to make sure I’m taking good care of them,” Stephens said. “It’s just easier for me to wait and go to the dentist I’m already comfortable with.” Jack Griffith, a freshman majoring in biology, said he thought it would be beneficial if the SHC offered a dental care program in the near future. “I think it would be good for kids to have access to a wide range of services, especially dental care,” he said. Douglas Fair, a freshman majoring in biology, agreed about the SHC’s need for a dental program. “I think that a dental care program would be a good idea for simple checkups just to maintain dental hygiene, but I doubt any student would trust anyone but their usual dentist for more extensive procedures,” Fair said.
College of Arts and Sciences. To help patients like Townsend, Be the Match along with Chris Hutt and the AED Medical society are hosting a Bone Marrow drive on Jan. 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the second floor of Lloyd Hall. Although there are over 9 million potential donors already on the Be The Match Registry, only one out of every 400 will be identified as a potential match. “Anyone between the ages of 18-60, in general good health and willing to donate to any patient they may match can join the registry,” Gunn said. “Joining the registry simply means a potential donor is willing to make him or herself
available to donate his or her liquid marrow. The more people who join our Be The Match Registry, the more patients we’ll help receive the transplant they need.” Being in the national registry does not mean that a person is obligated to donate, or that they will ever be asked to do so, Hutt said. “Be The Match will collect information from participants such as contact information and a cheek swab which is like brushing a q-tip on the inside of a person’s cheek for a few seconds and then enter that information into the national database,” Hutt said. “If a person from the registry is a genetic
match for someone in need, then Be The Match will contact that person to request further testing to confirm a match.” For more information on donating bone marrow and Be The Match, visit marrow.org.
IF YOU GO ... • What: Be The Match bone marrow drive
• Where: Lloyd Hall • When: Jan. 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Zen Buddhist priest visits Ferguson Center
Zen Buddhist priest Zoketsu Norman Fischer visited the University on Tuesday, Jan. 17. Fischer spoke with students in the Ferguson Center about compassion and religion. Get the “QR Reader” app in the app store for iPhone and Android, scan this code, and watch clips and an interview with Fischer.
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OPINIONS
My CW, an outlet for your content By Malcolm Cammeron
MCT Campus
UA students double-booked
Wednesday,
By SoRelle Wyckoff
finding themselves in an awkward technological stage, floating between used textbooks and online codes. Many professors still feel you need both. Textbooks often act as a guideline for the class objectives and course direction, and computers allow for greater interaction on a larger scale. Both textbooks and computer/online-based work have their positives and negatives. Personally, I prefer textbooks, notepads and pens. I like being able to highlight and fold pages, the text on paper agrees with my eyes more and at the end of the semester, you can sell your books back, like an end of the semester bonus. Many professors find textbooks a useful way to address class objectives and flow. But they’re expensive, heavy and inconvenient. The computer succeeds where the textbook fails. For starters, eLearning is free (with tuition) and (generally) easily accessible, solving the convenience issue. Knowing all I need is my laptop to go to class or study is much easier than deciding which books and folders I need. I can save documents and write notes all in the same place. It’s less cluttered, and it saves paper. I’m appreciative of both. Both have their obvious pluses and minuses. But when added
together, the combination is high funds and high frustration. I am using both when I only need one. I have to remember books for one class, while at the same time teach myself a computer program for another. I cringe, knowing I’m paying for both when I only need one. I am not asking for an abolishing of textbooks or the end of eLearning. I’m only flagging this as another topic for discussion in the future of our university. We also need to look inside our classrooms, and adjustments should be made to handle an increase in both students and technological opportunities. Knowing I spent as much money as I did on textbooks as I did on computer products and eBooks is mostly annoying, but there is a conversation there. Yet we all know what the future is looking like, and maybe that’s the hard part to admit for some of us. The fear of the extinction isn’t unheard of. Hollywood even did it some justice in “The Book of Eli.” In my past three years I have seen greater percentages of class readings, discussions and overall work, online. I don’t doubt that within a few years, under “textbook requirements:” it will list: iPad.
“Given the resources the US has from the world, there lies always a responsibility. You cannot consume what the world offers; you also have to stand for the founding principles of the USA ... the Bush administration has misused its power ... but the mistakes or the misuse of some does not justify to live with tyranny and mass murder.”
Starting school means a slew of preparation activities. Buying school supplies used to be fun, but ever since textbooks showed up on the checklist, school supply shopping became dreaded. But my frustration arises not from the pile of money I spent on books but on the amount of money I spent on books and their online supplements. My Spanish book, for example, had an online application I had to purchase for the class. It cost more than the book itself. Many of my teachers use eLearning to post relevant sections of textbooks, saving us from purchasing the whole book for a few chapters. But still, I find myself having to purchase a book for every class and at the same time complete a large percentage of my work online. My experience with online work has included reading sections of essays, taking tests and in some cases, teaching myself the class. My 101 level classes were fraught with online testing and labs. Most of the classes I didn’t even need to show up. How effective of a teaching strategy is this? I’m still skeptical, but after three years I do know that the need for textbooks is slowly dwindling. Our generation of students is
— Juergen Russ, in response to “US responsibilities at home, not overseas
Smokers smoke, haters choke
January 18, 2012 Editor • SoRelle Wyckoff letters@cw.ua.edu Page 4
{ YOUR VIEW }
“This election should be about Obama failings, not about Newtʼs erratic condescending tirades or Perryʼs blunders, or even Cainʼs attempts to woo other womenʼs wives.” — dcarter1977, in response to “Mitt Romney most qualified for presidency”
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By Drew Sprigall
As a smoker, I think I can provide a first-hand view for the opposing stance. Bearing in mind that I can’t speak for all smokers, let’s see if we can hammer out a compromise about smoking/non-smoking locations on which we can both agree. First off, let’s address venues that are safety concerns and aren’t directly smoke related. Places like gas stations, propane tank storage areas and basically any place that can explode due to lighters and cigarette embers. I’m all in favor of making those completely nonsmoking. Is that acceptable? So more toward the smokerelated grievances, let’s start off with something simple like public mass transportation: buses, planes and trains. Those places can get filled with smoke very
easily and don’t always have good airflow. I say that we give those places to non-smokers. Are we in agreement so far? Next, let’s see if we can come to an agreement on restaurants. Non-smokers tell me that sometimes smoke changes the taste of food. I can see how that could be plausible, so I propose that we give you restaurants. Sound good? What about public areas, such as malls, stores, airports or any public place that is enclosed? I know that sometimes people don’t like the smell of smoke, so I’d be in favor of giving those up.When we want to smoke, we’ll go outside. Is that ok? What about non-public indoor areas such as office buildings, school classrooms or dorms? I’ve been told that sometimes it’s hard to work
SoRelle Wyckoff is the Opinions editor of The Crimson White.
when there are smokers around. While I don’t see how it could be any different than someone who wears too much perfume or the smell of a cheap air freshener, I’ll concede it to you in the interest of negotiation. So we won’t smoke in office buildings, in the dorms, or during class. Is that still ok? There’s a possibility that some smoke could waft into those rooms, so let’s also give you the hallways. Shoot, we’ll even give you the whole building. We will go all the way outside to smoke. Agreed? I know there are a few ways people get in and out of those buildings (for some reason people don’t like it when you enter/ exit through windows), so out of the goodness of our hearts, I think that I can get the smokers to give you a buffer of, let’s say, thirty feet from the doors. Good?
LSU in lights and an up close and personal photo with Nick The Crimson White has Saban are just a few of the phostrived to be your voice in The tos we have already received. University of Alabama commu- To see this unique studentnity by asking hard questions, submitted content from New reporting in-depth, investigat- Orleans and the BCS National ing at length and starting dis- Championship game, visit My cussions. This past fall semes- CW online at mycrimsonwhite. ter was certainly representa- tumblr.com. To submit content tive of that. Our news team of your own visit mycrimsoncovered many events on and white.tumblr.com, click the off campus including the April “Submit Your News” tab, com27 tornado, news of the SGA plete the short form and send First Year Council scandal, the secretive voting bloc known as The Machine, The Game of the Century and subsequent Rematch of the Century. We asked you too to get involved. You responded in kind, joining discussions on Twitter, commenting on Facebook posts, submitting story ideas online, tipping us off to breaking news on campus and writing letters to the ediTo see this unique student-submitted tor. Nonetheless, content from New Orleans and the BCS we want to hear National Championship game, visit My CW more from you online at mycrimsonwhite.tumblr.com. — more of your perspectives and more of the news that matters it our way. Your content will appear soon on My CW and we most to you. To help with these efforts, will feature the best student this week we’re launching submissions in our print ediMy CW, a tumblog composed tion. In addition to My CW, do entirely of content contributed by no other than, you guessed not forget about the other it — you, The University of ways to reach out and share Alabama student. My CW your news with The Crimson invites you to share and pub- White. Every week we will lish news that matters to you have a table, staffed by editors, with The Crimson White, and interns and reporters, in the ultimately The University of Ferguson Center. Our table at Alabama community. That the Ferg is an excellent way to quirky sign you glimpsed at chat with the pens behind the the basketball game — share stories, and the voices behind it with us. The song you wrote The Crimson White’s social after the Tide’s victory over media presence. Likewise, we the Tigers — we want to hear welcome you to tweet us, chime it. Your student organization’s in on cw.ua.edu, comment on community service project — our Facebook and Google+ we want to know more about posts and send emails. There has never been a betit. We welcome art, music, photos, videos, written content and ter time to become involved with and contribute to your stumore. We experimented with My dent newspaper. The Crimson CW during the week lead- White wants to hear from ing up to the BCS National you whether it is in person or Championship game and sev- online. eral students have already contributed content. Big Al stand- Malcolm Cammeron is the ing guard in New Orleans, fans community manager for The parading down Bourbon Street, Crimson White.
So far, we (the smokers) have conceded dangerous locations, restaurants, stores, malls, offices, dorms, classrooms, halls and even a thirty-foot buffer around doors. That leaves us outside and our own property. I don’t really like it, but I think that we can live with those arrangements. So, Ms. Thurston, why do you want more? Have we not been considerate enough? We smokers are willing to stop what we’re doing and go outside, in the heat, cold and rain to smoke a cigarette. Is it too much for us to ask you to walk on the other side of a sidewalk or speed up or slow down so that both of us can be happy? If not, then I feel there are some other dangerous scenarios that I should warn you about where you could come into contact with “harmful substances [that are] unrecognizable and
unpronounceable.” You might not want to live near any industrial power plants. There’s a possibility that a minute trace of something could be released. Also, I hear that airplane exhaust has some harmful chemicals. Oh, I almost forgot about another danger. Vehicles produce dangerous gases like carbon monoxide that can hurt you in the long run. Also, you know, there’s that whole getting hit by one that could hurt you in the short term. So you may want to stay away from all cars, trucks and buses. We, as smokers, are going out of our way in the interest of your concerns. If you aren’t happy with that, maybe we should revisit our previous agreements.
Drew Sprigall is a junior majoring in computer science.
Why is Hollywood scared of a black movie? By Xavier Burgin I have a newfound respect for George Lucas. I’ve always loved the man for his work as a filmmaker. I love Star Wars. I envy the life of Indiana Jones. These are the stories that have captured the hearts of children and adults alike. George Lucas is literally a staple of American culture. That is not an opinion. I also have my qualms with George. In the eyes of many fans, he’s done a considerable amount of questionable reediting with many of his bestknown films (mainly the Star Wars franchise). Many fans were also dissatisfied with the latest Indiana Jones movie, citing the weak story and inclusion of Shia LaBeouf. I may not agree with many of his decisions, but I believe he’s a great filmmaker, and his impact is unequaled. My newfound respect for
George has stemmed from his willingness to do something the majority of Hollywood is completely against—he made a film consisting of an entirely black cast steeped in one of the most prominent African American stories, The Tuskegee Airmen. Note: Go see the film Red Tails. The Tuskegee airmen were the first African American combat pilots in the United States Army. They fought in World War II. The airmen were met with racial discrimination and hatred from the army and citizens of The United States. Still, they served their country valiantly and became known as one of the best groups ever to emerge from the US Army Air Corps. Now, why is George Lucas’ movie important? Simple. Absolutely no one wanted to make it. Forget story structure, production costs, or the magnitude of the film’s scope. It is an
African American movie that does not feature melodrama, gang violence or hood portrayals. Hollywood is having none of that. If the story does not revolve around what I previously stated, sports, or a white person helping a poorly educated (often idiotic) black person (see The Blind Side, Finding Forrester, etc.), it will not be made. The Help is not an exception. The story may have African Americans, but it dwelled on the overwhelmingly privileged lives of southern whites. There are bright spots. Spike Lee’s movies can bring a nonblack crowd. Tyler Perry movies have been notably profitable, but are rigorously scrutinized by mainstream critics. So what’s the problem? Hollywood does not think black sells (unless you are Will Smith, maybe Denzel Washington or Samuel “I Play Myself in Every Movie I Make” Jackson). A cast
for a mainstream, high budget movie will never be predominately black (or predominately minority for that matter). Hollywood will not even allow a white woman to be a black man’s love interest, unless it specifically deals with race issues (see O, a modern conception of Othello). In Will Smith’s movie Hitch, Nicole Kidman was considered for the part of Will Smith’s love interest, but executives opted for a Latino lead role in fear their white audience may not approve of such interracial sexy. The opposite is untrue. A white man can bugger up a black woman on screen all he wants (see Monster’s Ball or Star Trek). Hollywood executives said no, watching the screening of Red Tails. One executive didn’t even show up. I could understand such individuals ignoring Spike Lee or Tyler Perry in this endeavor, but to know someone of George
Lucas’ clout could be ignored tells us Hollywood retains a circle jerk of high-powered moneyrollers who still have a stamp of prejudice on the money they stuff up their rear-end. So, thank you, George Lucas for making this film. Thank you for using your own money to distribute it. Thank you for fighting the convention minorities should not be allowed to play lead roles in major movies. I can respect someone who is willing to push boundaries. This also lends itself to the fact some issues will not be resolved until white people address the gash of racism still upheld by their less forward brethren. God, I just hope the movie doesn’t suck. That would really ruin my argument.
Xavier Burgin is a senior in New College, studying Film Production.
The Crimson White
NEWS
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
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State legislature to consider marijuana bill By Melissa Brown Staff Reporter mbrown104@crimson.ua.edu
Marijuana is medicine, and always has been. So says Chris Butts, co-president of the Alabama Medical Marijuana Coalition (AMMJC) – and Alabama legislators will have a chance to weigh in on the issue come February. Alabama Representative K.L. Brown filed H.B. 66 on Dec. 1 in a move to legalize marijuana for medicinal use. The bill was largely compiled by the AMMJC, a patients’ rights organization formed in June 2011. “We’re not pushing for legalization,” Butts said. “We’re just looking to get the patients safe access to this product without fear of arrest or incarceration.” Butts himself is a medical marijuana user. After suffering a spinal compression injury in 1992, he said he was prescribed
strong medication for controlling his pain. Whenever one medication stopped working, the doctor would give me a stronger one. “If you can name a pain pill, I was probably prescribed it,” he said. After five years of the medications affecting his life and relationships, Butts said he went to his doctor and admitted he was an addict who needed a better way to manage his pain. Butts wanted to try marijuana, and his doctor suggested an edible form to avoid smoke inhalation. Though he still uses standard pain medication like Oxycontin for what he calls “severe pain episodes” three to four times a year, Butts said marijuana has been his primary medication for 12 years. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Brown, told the Anniston Star in October that he supported the
“We’re not pushing for legalization. We’re just looking to get the patients safe access to this product without fear of arrest or incarceration.” — Chris Butts measure because of personal experiences with a sister suffering from breast cancer. “My sister used it very successfully to control her nausea and pain,” Brown said in the article. “I think the time has come for the state to consider medical marijuana.” The Huntsville-based Partnership for a Drug-Free Community, an organization that works to prevent youth substance abuse, is against the legislation. In an e-mailed statement Tuesday, the organization cited a December 2011 Monitoring the Future Survey that found a continued increase of mari-
juana use among 8th, 10th and 12th graders. “Based on this current research it is our position that legalization would only thwart our efforts and increase the economic and social costs that result from greater drug accessibility as well as the confusion of mixed messages for our youth,” the statement said. Butts agrees with the Partnership about confusing young people. “I think we’ve poisoned our youth by telling them this product is something other than medicine,” Butts said. “I don’t have my children coming to me and stealing my blood pres-
sure medicine. If we maintain that marijuana is a medicine…I mean, I don’t think high school seniors would try to be cool like cancer patients or MS patients.” However, Butts disagrees that the legalization of medical marijuana will make it easier for young people to get the drug. “I just think it’s hilarious that they think kids don’t have access to it right now,” he said. “There’s nobody out there controlling this product – drug dealers control this product. Drug dealers don’t ask for IDs. It’s not like we’re bringing a brand new product into the state and kids are going to go crazy over it. It’s already here.” Butts said despite some inevitable opposition to the idea of medical marijuana legalization, he’s been pleasantly surprised at the feedback AMMJC
has received. “One of our dues-paying members is an 84-year-old woman,” he said. “I assure you she’s not in this to get high. She wants to get off the medications her doctor is prescribing her. We see that all across the state. We’ve got people that are 70 years old with tears in their eyes thanking us for what we are doing.” Butts hopes the legislation will see success come February and that the public comes to see marijuana as a medicine rather than drug. “This is going to be really beneficial to a lot of people out here,” he said. “I personally get 300 emails a month from patients who are out there in Alabama who are using this product at the risk of being arrested. They’re taking this risk because it works. This plant is not what it’s been taught to be.”
ECU newspaper adviser resigns amid photo scandal Student paper’s decision to run photos of streaker leads to resignation of former Crimson White adviser By Jasmine Cannon Senior Staff Reporter jmcannon@crimson.ua.edu
Professor Paul Isom at East Carolina University has been fired as the adviser of the student newspaper, The East Carolinian. Isom, a former adviser to The Crimson White, was asked to step down earlier this month. It is believed by most that the cause of Isom’s termination was TEC’s publication of uncensored photos of a streaker at an ECU Pirates football game. “Because the University has presented it as a personnel matter, we can’t entirely know all of the circumstances,” said Cindy Elmore, assistant professor of communications at ECU. “I would say it, unfortunately, seems related to the fact that The East Carolinian published streaker photos.”
Many of Isom’s students and colleagues are standing behind him in disagreement with his firing, which he says came out of the blue. “I was shocked and surprised,” Isom said. “I had no warning of a meeting, the people just showed up at my office . . . It’s not fair. [I believe] it was retaliation for when in December the student editors made the decision to run a photo of a streaker. Not only is it not fair, it’s a violation of first amendment rights.” Elmore said the Supreme Court has made very clear that public universities cannot control the content of student newspapers. “We want student journalists to act in good taste, and we want them to be responsible, but even when they aren’t, the university can’t control what they publish,” she said.
ECU has released two statements since Isom’s firing. The latest statement was released last week and said the University is looking for permission to release confidential information that would provide valid reasoning for Isom’s termination. The statement also said ECU does not agree with the decision to fire Isom being related to the First Amendment. “A fuller knowledge of the facts at hand will help distinguish between any personnel matter and the First Amendment,” Mary Schulken, director of pubic affairs, said a public statement. Several national organizations have written letters demanding for Isom to be reinstated as the advisor of TEC. “If I was not willing to stand
up for a First Amendment issue, then I wouldn’t have been advising them the way that I was advising them,” he told the Student Press Law Center. “I would have told them, ‘Yeah, don’t run any controversial pictures, don’t make anybody mad.” Isom has been in contact with the Student Press Law Center, and there has been talk of a lawsuit, but nothing is set in stone yet. Isom has worked as TEC advisor since 2008. While he no longer holds the newspaper’s advisor position, he still teaches a journalism course on campus. “I think this says the a d m i n i st r at i o n doesn’t understand the role of the student newspaper and the advisor or anything about Submitted photo the First A mendment,” Isom said. “I hope this is all Professor Paul Isom, a former adviser for The Crimson White, resolved in some satisfac- was asked to step down at ECU after The East Carolinian published uncensored photos of a streaker tory way.”
Now Accepting Applications! To apply visit our website @: http://cmw.ua.edu/ For more information join us at
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Wednesday, January 18, 2012
NEWS
The Crimson White
Honors College Assembly begins film series ‘Page One: Inside the New York Times’ is the first of four documentaries scheduled for the semester By Olivia Hodge and Katherine Martin The Crimson White
The Honors College Assembly will begin its third documentary film series with a screening of “Page One,” a film that goes behind the scenes of the New York Times during a time of change in the newspaper industry. The documentary begins at 7 p.m. Thursday in Lloyd 222 and will be followed by a panel discussion. Panel members include Victor Luckerson, editor in chief of The Crimson White, Mark Mayfield, associate director of the Office of Student Media, Jennifer Greer, chair of the journalism department and journalism professor Chris Roberts. “‘Page One’ gives you a chance to learn more about journalism,” program director Chris Izor said. “[It] gives you an opportunity to think critically about how you interact with news.” HCA gives students the opportunity to interact with the arts outside of art classes, Izor said. Through documentary, students are introduced to topics they may have never come in contact with. Carly Palmour, another event coordinator, said a lot of the films HCA presents are not available in theaters or on Netflix and are obtained by calling the films’ director. “One of the cool things
A lot of times you can have a conversation with someone about a certain topic, but with film, you can see it for yourself.
Feb. 16 – Beats, Rhymes, & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest Michael Rapaport goes on tour with A Tribe Called Quest in 2008 when they reunited to perform sold-out concerts across the country. The documentary chronicles the shaky relationships of the group members and how it threatens their creative unity.
— Carly Palmour about documentary is that it uses film, which is one of the major art forms we consume, and combines storytelling through film in ways you usually don’t interact with,” Izor said. Palmour said a lot of the themes of the films shown come from what students in the Honors College are studying, and what they find important. This semester’s series includes films ranging from the journalism industry to the war in Afghanistan. The films HCA has chosen to screen take both sides of each topic into consideration, Palmour said. In other situations, the film presents a topic and allows the viewer to make decisions on their own. “A lot of times you can have a conversation with someone about a certain topic,” Palmour said, “but with film, you can see it for yourself.”
Mar. 8 – Hell and Back Again After coming back from being seriously wounded in Afghanistan, 25-year-old Marine Sgt. Nathan Harris describes his intense experiences of war and readjusting to civilian life in North Carolina in a film by Danfung Dennis.
IF YOU GO ... • What: Honors College
• Where: Lloyd 222
Documentary screening
• When: Thursday, 7 p.m.
Jan. 19 – Page One: Inside the New York Times Directed by Andrew Rossi, the documentary goes inside the inner workings of The New York Times newsroom and Media Desk at a time when the newspapers around the country are going bankrupt.
April 5 – Into the Abyss F i l m m a ke r We r n e r Herzog interviews death row inmate Michael Perry, who is scheduled to die within eight days of appearing on screen. Perry was involved in a triple homicide in Conroe, Texas. Herzog explores the case and the inner workings of the human psyche.
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The new ordinance allows developers to construct both residential and commercial buildings in the same area with a few exceptions. Businesses such as tobacco shops, check cashing stores, pawn shops, tattoo and body piercing shops, payday loan businesses, minor vehicle repair shops and sexually oriented or adult-based establishments will not be allowed within 300 feet of residential properties. Additionally, those businesses will only be allowed one per block per the ordinance. Though sometimes a controversial issue, mixed-use zoning has been embraced by the Council in the aftermath of disaster.
“I think mixed-use is the best way to go because for too long, our codes have been designed to separate usage,” Maddox said. “When you separate usage, generally over a life cycle it will cause a deterioration of neighborhoods or on the commercial side.” George Harris is a resident who has lived in four different places in Forest Lake. The tornado took three of those four homes, but Harris is optimistic. “I’m going to miss a lot of the stuff that was there but I’m looking forward to coming back better and I think this is a plan that is a step in the right direction,” he said. Last week the city council approved a $46,000 engineering contract that will aid in removing the last of the vegetative debris from the Forest Lake neighborhood. The new codes specifically
impact the areas of 10th Avenue from roughly 26th Street to 35th Street, McFarland Boulevard and 15th Street and University Boulevard East in the Alberta neighborhood. “I think it’s going to improve the ability to have things like pedestrian walkways and other opportunities, so overall I believe this is our best chance to raise the bar in terms of quality of life,” Maddox said. Maddox said the city’s zoning ordinances were based off legislation from 1972, and a time for change has come saying, “a lot has changed since then, we needed a modern urban policy and this gives us that.” However, Maddox said he understands this plan is only the next step on a long road to recovery, and there are “still many miles to go in this marathon.”
The Crimson White
NEWS
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
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Forest Lake: The cleanup, from April to October APRIL
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8 Wednesday, January 18, 2012
NEWS
The Crimson White
Study shows football success can lead to lower GPAs By Alyssa Locklar Senior Staff Reporter arlocklar@crimson.ua.edu As the excitement of another national championship infiltrates campus, it is impossible to overlook the influence football has on college campuses. Indeed, one recent study shows there is a strong correlation between a successful college football season and declining grade point averages. At the University of Oregon, economists related the schools athletic success with male students’ academic slip-ups. The study, which was released by the National Bureau of Economic Research, recorded not only the difference in grade point average when the Oregon Ducks’ football team was winning versus losing, but also the gap between males and females. “Our paper also contributes to the large literature on gender differences in higher education, where some have argued that there is a pending ‘boy crisis,’” said the study. “This concern is often motivated by the fact that men have fallen further and further behind women in college attendance and completion over the past 30 years.” The study recognized the season outcomes and the fall term grade point averages at the University of Oregon from 1999 until 2007, which provided the researchers with both prosperous and disappointing seasons for Duck fans. According to the study, the main sample consisted of 29,737 students. Although the study focused on actual numbers and physical evidence, they performed surveys asking students if the success of the University of Oregon football team decreased the amount of time they studied for classes. Students had the option to respond with a range from “Definitely Not” to “Definitely.” “While both distributions are skewed right, the male distribution shows significantly higher mass to the right, which is consistent with rela-
tively more males reporting a decrease in study time around a football ‘success,’” said the study. “In fact, 24 percent of males report that athletic success either ‘Definitely’ or ‘Probably’ decreases their study time, compared to only 9 percent of females.” The authors, Jason M. Lindo, Isaac D. Swenson and Glen R. Waddell, explained that there are certain factors that directly affect the study’s findings. Often, celebrations accompany wins, and frequently, on college campuses, such celebration includes alcohol consumption. They explain that excessive alcohol consumption will lead to poor academic performance. The study reported that only 28 percent of females admit to increased partying when the team wins in comparison to 47 percent of men. “Relative to women, men report being more likely to increase alcohol consumption, to decrease studying, and to increase partying around the success of the football team,” according to the study. “Yet, both male and female students report that their behavior is responsive to athletic success.” Although the numbers portrayed a more significant decrease in GPA for male students than females, both genders’ grade point averages at the University of Oregon were altogether lower in successful football seasons. “I think to a certain extent, my grades are affected in the fall semester due to football season,” said Chelsea Briche, a senior majoring in broadcast journalism. “The entire weekend is dedicated to football. Whether we are in the stands cheering or recovering from game day, it’s all about the Tide. If our team wins, we go out and celebrate. If for some reason our team loses, we then find a way to justify our partying. Because of this, by the time Sunday night rolls around, I don’t exactly have the energy to knock out all of my homework.”
At the University of Alabama, two of the last three football seasons have ended with a national championship title. “Last season our team’s lack of overall success allowed me to focus more of my time and energy on other things besides football, such as school work,” said senior Lucas Zaluzney, “This season Alabama’s national championship run directly affected how much more I partied and cared about football than last year.” Zaluzney explained that at the end of the Tide’s 2010 football season his GPA was a 3.4, rather than this fall’s 3.1. According to the UA MTLC lab coordinator Jamie Glass, there are a total of seven classes taught out of the math lab each semester. In comparison to the overall class success rates in the fall of 2009, the fall of 2008 was only more successful in four of the seven classes. In the fall of 2010, there were only three classes with a higher success rate. However, she noted that the MTLC has a different structure than other classes on campus. “We use an emporium model for teaching introductory mathematics courses. So the students can actually finish their work on their own time,” Glass said. “If they had a rough weekend they can do their work at a later time in the week as long as they keep up with their due dates. Our students are only required to attend class once or twice a week depending on the course.” Alongside celebrations, the overall atmosphere surrounding football games can also be seen as a distraction. “It’s difficult to concentrate when you have 70,000 people coming to town and ESPN College GameDay set up outside your window,” advertising and public relations professor Kristen Heflin said. “I haven’t taught long enough to CW | John Michael Simpson see a trend, but I can definitely Fans in New Orleans celebrate during the shutout victory over LSU in the BCS National Championship. A understand how people could recent study shows a correlation between a successful college football season and declining grade point be distracted by it. It’s like a big averages. carnival coming to town every week.”
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“I think a lot depends on how it plays out,” Finebaum said. “If there’s anything to it, it’s going to scare some people off, but I don’t think he’s got, at least from what I can tell, much negativity in his background. But something like this can send out a flare that there may be a problem. “The NFL is probably as tough as any group of people in all of sports, that’s college and pro, when it comes to misconduct and you’ll pay for it. I do think you have to take a deep breath and you have to get the facts of the case. If it goes away quickly, it will be a minor blip.” Finebaum referenced the
“If there’s anything to it, it’s going to scare some people off, but I don’t think he’s got...much negativity in his background.” — Paul Finebaum questions that surrounded former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton leading up to last year’s NFL Draft. “There were a million allegations against Cam Newton and what everyone thought would hurt him didn’t affect him one bit once he went through the interview process,” Finebaum said. “How he handles the combine will be important, but its also critical how quickly his lawyers can dispose of this.” A key question at the end of the day, Finebaum said, is how the situation will develop. Although NFL general man-
agers may presently view the arrest as a black mark, the facts haven’t yet surfaced, he said. “I don’t think you can say right now that it’s going to be cataclysmic until the facts are in,” Finebaum said. “At the end of the day, if it’s a minor deal, and it looks like it’s minor from a legal standpoint, if he runs a good 40 and looks good in Indianapolis, then it will be a distant memory come late April.” Kirkpatrick and Rogers were both released on $120 bond.
The Crimson White
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Senator looks to clear air in bars, restaurants, public places By William Evans Senior Staff Reporter wjevans@crimson.ua.edu
CW | Mitchell Hughes
of the American Cancer Society, a section of the coalition. “We believe all workers should be able to work in a smoke-free environment,” State Sen. Vivian Davis Figures said she said. “Senator Figures is a very Tuesday, Jan. 10, she will introduce leg- strong sponsor but she’s more willing to islation and a constitutional amendment compromise than we are.” Campbell said the coalition wants to to ban smoking in public places, including bars and restaurants but not private pause any legislative action to curtail clubs, according to a Tuscaloosa News secondhand smoke until support for a comprehensive anti-smoking bill can be article. Figures, D-Mobile, has proposed vari- lined up. “If we could take a step back and not ous anti-smoking legislation in her 13 years in the State Senate. Now she wants try to push this bill until we get all of the to introduce a constitutional amend- needed support, we could create somement to curtail exposure to secondhand thing really strong that could protect all workers,” she said. smoke. The coalition is currently focusThe state of Alabama does not have ing on passing strong a statewide smokanti-smoking ordiing ban. Instead, the nances in cities such Alabama Clean Indoor as Birmingham and Air Act, passed in We believe all workers Mobile, where the coali2003 with the help of should be able to work in tion has been successFigures, generally fora smoke-free environment. ful in having such ordibids smoking in public Senator Figures is a very nances take effect, she places and public meetstrong sponsor, but she’s said. ings unless they are One reason for the designated as smoking more willing to compromise coalition’s push for a areas, enclosed and than we are. comprehensive antiwell-ventilated. The smoking bill stems from Act bans smoking in — Ginny Campbell, Alabama Chapter the belief that smoking locations such as hosof the American Cancer Society bans shape individual pitals, schools, most preferences against retail establishments, smoking. The number elevators, buses, taxis, of smokers in society can be reduced if restrooms and polling places. Figures’ constitutional amendment the government adopts an attitude of would have to pass the State Legislature disapproval for the effects of secondhand and then go to a statewide vote for the smoke on the health of its non-smoking legislation to take effect. The 2012 legis- citizens, she said. However, some legal researchers suglative session begins Feb. 7. She said a constitutional amendment gest the opposite consequence can follow would give voters a direct voice in the from the state’s manipulation of social norms concerning smoking. matter. Thomas Lambert, assistant profes“If legislators don’t want to throw this on the people, let the people decide,” sor of law at the University of Missouri Figures said in the Tuscaloosa News Columbia School of Law, wrote in a 2006 article that intrusive smoking bans article. Figures told the Tuscaloosa News she might increase the incidence of lighting originally considered advocating a smok- up. “A large percentage of smokers ing ban in private clubs such as Elks and Moose Lodges but decided to constrain acquire the habit at a young age, and the constitutional amendment to public they frequently do so because smoking is ‘cool,’” he wrote. “Smoking is cool, places. Meanwhile, the Tobacco Free Alabama of course, because it is rebellious. The coalition is pushing for a statewide harder anti-smoking forces work to smoking prohibition in public buildings coerce people into quitting smoking, and and workplaces. The exemption Figures the more they engage the government makes for private clubs runs counter to and other establishment institutions in the comprehensive legislation the coali- their efforts, the more rebellious — and tion is seeking, said Ginny Campbell, leg- thus the ‘cooler’ —smoking becomes.” islative director of the Alabama chapter
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COOKBOOK Continued from page 1
“I decided to call Kelly and run the idea by her to see if the concept was even feasible,” Seaton said. “I originally thought of compiling recipes from just the active members, but then Kelly suggested we open it up to the AZ [Alpha Zeta] alumni as well since we’ve always had such supportive alums.” For Seaton, a senior, the cookbook was the next best thing to helping with the relief efforts since she and Petro were at home already and unable to help in Tuscaloosa. “We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the lives of the sisters we lost last year – sharing the love our chapter has for each other through favorite recipes,” Seaton said. The success of the cookbook has sparked a cause for celebration amongst the Phi Mu sisters. They began to sell the book on Amazon for $25 in December and have already sold 400 copies. With all the proceeds going directly to Project Team Up, the sisters of Phi Mu are excited and hope to raise even more funds to build an entire house for a family.
NEWS
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“We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the lives of the sisters we lost last year – sharing the love our chapter has for each other through favorite recipes.” — Sara Seaton “At this point, I think we are all still in disbelief at how well the cookbooks are doing,” Petro said. “We are so happy to be able to give back to the community and honor our beautiful sisters.” Several Phi Mu sisters from across the nation have purchased the book and are happy with what their Alpha Zeta sisters have accomplished. In her online book review, one Phi Mu reader called the book “the best and most meaningful cookbook.” She went on to say that she is so proud to call herself a Phi Mu because of the caring acts from her Alabama sisters. The cookbooks are still available for $25 at amazon.com. For more information, please visit the Facebook page, “Love in Our Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of Alpha Zeta.”
Submitted Photos Above: Ashley Harrison, a member of Phi Mu from Dallas, Texas, was killed during the tornado on April 27. Far Left: Nicole Francois, a resident of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., died in a two-car accident in Opp, Ala., in August of 2010. Left: Phi Mu sister Ashton Alford of Memphis, Tenn., was killed in a car accident on April 2, 2011.
Six students awarded study abroad scholarships By Judah Martin Contributing Writer
Six students have been awarded the UA Away Scholarship to study abroad by The University of Alabama Division of Student Affairs as part of the Community Service Center’s Alternative Break program. UA Away, created in part by Mark Nelson, vice president for Student Affairs and vice provost, offers the six students—Froy Batsielilit, Lisa Bochey, Nicole Nealon, Nicholas Kelly, Carson Economy, and Kristen Pugh— the chance to travel during spring break to Guatemala where they will participate
in service opportunities like construction projects and mentoring children in poverty-stricken areas. “Maximizing student learning means we must encourage our students to become global citizens,” Nelson said. “The UA Away scholarship initiative supports students who may not otherwise have the opportunity to benefit from the unique educational opportunity that only comes from travel abroad.” The UA Away scholarship, which depends largely on donations and other fundraising methods, covers all of the students’ expenses related to performing the community service and is primarily need-
“The UA Away scholarship initiative supports students who may not otherwise have the opportunity to benefit from the unique educational opportunity that only comes from travel abroad.” — Mark Nelson, vice president for Student Affairs and vice provost based, aiming to provide the chance to study abroad to students who otherwise could not afford it. Froy Batsielilit, a senior majoring in international relations and Spanish, is originally from Africa. She hopes her background will provide her with a better understanding of the people she will work with in Guatemala. “I want to a make a differ-
ence, even just a small contribution,” Batsielilit said. “Because of my personal experience, it would mean the world to me to know that a family was able to have a more convenient life because of me.” Carson Economy, a senior majoring in psychology, travelled to Guatemala with the program last year as well and will be returning to partici-
pate in service projects this year. “My ex p e r i e n c e in Guatemala taught me what it means to give back and to completely give of yourself— before this trip I had no idea what that meant,” Economy said. “I look forward to seeing my Guatemalan friends again, to see how they have grown, and to help the new group of volunteers have the same lifechanging experience that I had last year.” For Nicholas Kelly, a junior majoring in exercise science, the trip to Guatemala will be his first experience travelling to another country. He hopes to share the values and ideas that he observes there when
he returns home. “I absolutely love learning from every situation and person I come in contact with,” Kelly said. “It allows me to grow as a citizen and a human being, but it also allows me to teach others so they can make a difference in others’ lives as well.” Aside from the trip to Guatemala, the Community Service Center’s Alternative Break program has several other upcoming service projects scheduled including a domestic Alternative Spring Break trip to Baldwin County working with Habitat for Humanity and an Alternative May Interim Break trip to the Dominican Republic.
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LIFESTYLES
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Wednesday, January 18, 2012
COLUMN
A taste of honesty in Donald Glover By SoRelle Wyckoff Amidst the revolutions and protests, there are faces that stand out from the crowd as symbols of change or hope. Donald Glover served as the face of protestors with a real cause. In the face of disaster, Glover lent his face to serve as the background to bolded text: “Save Community.” His sacrifice was enough to save the show at least a little longer. It makes sense; a large part of the success of “Community” is the character that Donald brings to the screen. His char-
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Baseball is just one of the things you can enjoy in the spring.
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CW I Katie Bennett
COLUMN
What to do with your empty life now that football is over By Ashley Chaffin The 12 short weeks of football season make it easy for students to plan their weekends in the fall. Fridays are spent preparing for the game, Saturdays are spent at the game and Sundays are spent recovering from Friday and Saturday. It’s undoubtedly most Alabama students’ favorite time of the year, but now we are faced with a new dilemma – what are we supposed to do with our weekends in the spring?
Alabama Sports With the defending national champion gymnastics team and a basketball team making a run for March Madness this year back in Coleman Coliseum this semester, there is no lack of action to watch on weekends. Both teams are currently in SEC action, which means making a weekend trip out of a game could be a great idea. Upcoming away weekends include men’s basketball at Kentucky on Jan. 21, and at LSU on Feb. 11, and gymnastics at Auburn on Jan. 27, and at Kentucky on Feb. 10. Other sports that are in season right now include tennis, swimming, diving and women’s basketball. Sports worth checking out later this semester include baseball, which starts Feb. 17 in Tuscaloosa, and softball, which starts Feb. 10 in Mobile, Ala. The Crimson Rewards Program, sponsored by Tuscaloosa Toyota, offers points for students who go to every sport’s home games. Each game is worth one point
each, and rewards include a concession voucher for ten points, automatic qualification for next year’s football tickets for forty points and a chance to be entered for a Toyota Camry if you get 90 points. To register for a Crimson Rewards card, visit http://crimsonrewards. ia.ua.edu/ or visit their table at any home game. Once you have your card, visit their table at each game you go to in order to get it scanned and collect your points.
Concerts Another thing Tuscaloosa had to leave in the fall is shows at The Tuscaloosa Amphitheater, which ended its season in November. While we won’t have many big-ticket names stopping through Tuscaloosa anytime soon, we have plenty of local bands playing around town every week to enjoy. Some of the biggest Tuscaloosa names include Callooh! Callay!, who often plays at Green Bar, and Andy Hall, who spends a lot of time at The Bear Trap. If you’ve heard enough of local bands, and don’t mind a short drive, Alabama students only live about an hour away from a popular destination for many musicians. The BJCC attracts all kinds of artists including Rascal Flatts, who will play Feb. 10, and Jimmy Buffet, who will play Feb. 25. It also brings in Broadway shows such as Wicked, which will have three performances in February. If these shows aren’t for you or out of your price range, smaller bars and clubs such as Zydeco
or The Alabama Theatre in Birmingham also attract smaller but still well known bands.
Alabama Festivals While there won’t be a festival to attend every weekend, the spring semester offers a few festivals around the state that are worth checking out. Festivals this spring include: The Orange Beach Seafood Festival – Orange Beach, Ala. – Feb. 25 The Druid City Arts Festival – Tuscaloosa, Ala. - March 19 The Fairhope Outdoor Craft Show – Fairhope, Ala. – March 16-18 The Hangout Festival – Gulf Shores, Ala. – May 18-20
Movies If you don’t want to waste your gas going out of town for sports or concerts, one option right down the road is the Cobb Hollywood 16 & IMAX. With so many anticipated movies coming out in 2012, it may be time visit the theater. Popular movies out now include “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” and “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” and upcoming releases include “Underworld Awakening” (Jan. 20) and “The Grey” (Jan. 27). If you want a new look at things while at the movies, try the IMAX option, which opened last year or the D-Box seats, which matches the action of the movie to the movement of the seat.
acter, Troy, works alongside the awkward Abed, and the duo becomes dynamic. The show has gathered a strong fan-base, and Glover’s name has grown. After putting that same name into a “Wu-Tang name generator,” Donald Glover became Childish Gambino. The name stuck, and Childish Gambino became the mask for Donald Glover’s rapping, touring and writing. Relying heavily on Twitter, Tumblr and social media, Childish Gambino got enough mix tapes out to create as much buzz as his alter ego. Actor-gone-rapper or rappergone-actor scenarios rarely end well. Either bad movie reviews or mass-produced lyrics block off attempting double-threats as they try to turn down a different trail. The album Camp, released November 2011, was Childish Gambino’s first studio album, but it did not leave a processed taste. Lyrically, Childish Gambino is clever, using social
puns and plays on words, while remaining poetic at the same time; however, it is in the content you see his real talent. Childish Gambino is not afraid to air out his closet, revealing embarrassing experiences, his failings and high school stories. He comments on insecurities like his “fat nose” and strange hair, as well as interior struggles to fit in as things around him change. It’s in his social commentary on the image of black rap and rappers that provides something different. He stakes his post as an outsider both in his rapping and in his personal life. Addressing his critics, he acknowledges their perceptions of his “hipster” style and his lack of cliché rapper extracurricular. Childish Gambino is okay with this outsider image; cursing both the industry and the artists that have allowed the image of “black” life to become synonymous with “hood life.” His struggles are different than what other voices have rapped
about, but he is not ashamed of this. The final track, “That Power,” ends in a monologue describing his experience of summer camp love. His story includes descriptive details that produce a vivid scene. The story tells of a summer camp love betrayal that changed his perspective on communication. “I learned to cut out the middle man and make it all for everybody, always. Everybody can’t turn around and tell everybody, everybody already knows.” I only wish my words could as eloquently describe his in this last monologue, but it perfectly epitomizes the sentiments behind “Camp.” As his words end and the violin background fades away, you are left with the image of a boy that is very open and raw and an album that represents a new side of rap. The pride in his insecurities create an album worth picking up for a taste of honesty and maybe a lesson in self-image.
LIFESTYLES
Local artist wins in juried photography exhibit
Page 12 • Wednesday, January 18, 2012 Editor • Ashley Chaffin lifestyles@cw.ua.edu
WEDNESDAY • Open Mic Night: Green Bar, 9 p.m.
By Katrina Sharpe Staff Reporter ksharpe@crimson.ua.edu
The Arts Council will present the 9th annual Double Exposure Juried Photography Exhibit today, Jan. 17, and running through Feb. 19. Works by local Alabama photographers will be featured in either junior or adult divisions. The exhibits are located in the Bama Theatre’s Junior League Gallery for the adult division and the Greensboro Room for the junior division. On the last day of the exhibit, an awards ceremony and reception will take place at 2 p.m. This year’s winners were announced Friday afternoon. First place in the junior division went to Brittany Britt from Montgomery for her piece called “Jessie,” and Michael Moore earned first place in the adult division from Tuscaloosa for “Coal Miner.” “I was thrilled when the arts council called me about the award,” Moore said. As the adult division winner, Moore received a $500 purchase award, in addition, an invitation to host his own
exhibit was extended to him, which will be comprised of his most recent work at the Bama Theatre on a later date. This was the first time he entered his photography into a local contest. The next four runnerups each received a $250 cash prize. Moore’s friend Caleb O’Connor, who painted the murals in the new Tuscaloosa federal courthouse, needed a professional photographer to assist him in taking pictures of coal miners as they were leaving the underground mines. The murals showcase the history of Alabama and the significant role coal mining played. These men and women had been working a 12-hour shift, finishing at 11 p.m. As they were coming up from the underground mines, Moore asked them for permission to take their portraits. “The emphasis of the portrait was to try and convey how hard the men and women of the coal industry work,” said Moore. Moore had always loved photography, but he became more interested in it during college here at the University
CW | Natalie Nichols In Garland Hall on Jan. 17, the Arts Council presents the 9th annual Double Exposure Juried Photography Exhibit. Tuscaloosa, is open from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. on weekdays. Harrison Galleries and American Shutterbug sponsor the event. For further information on Moore’s work and upcoming
exhibit, visit www.michaeljm o o r e p h o t o g r a p h y. c o m . Additionally, to find out about upcoming exhibits and events for The Arts Council or Bama Theatre, go to www.tuscarts. org.
Submitted photos Top: Lana Del Rey performs “Video Games” on Saturday Night Live on Saturday. Bottom: Toby Hartleroad from the motions plays at the Eganʼs Bar. mixed with lush Golden Age detachment or ironic detachHollywood imagery that has ment. It’s hard to truly figure attracted a fan base for Del out Del Rey, a super gorgeous Rey, so much so that despite woman with an affinity for not having a full album silky style. Unfortunately, Del release, she performed on Rey may have found that line too hard to determine on her “Saturday Night Live.” It is this performance that own, singing “Video Games” may show the fatal flaw of with off-pitch nervousness “Video Games,” however. that just sounds awful. This may not even be Del Del Rey sings the song in an extremely low octave that Rey’s fault. Her image is of either emphasizes emotional a confident ice queen (think
January Jones in everything where a director thought January Jones could act), not a performer known for stage fright (akin to semi-soundalike Cat Power). When the image is shattered on a massive national stage, the allure is gone. Del Rey stood, sang off-key, did nothing interesting and validated criticism of her as a music industry automaton almost immediately. By comparison, The Motions vocalist Toby Hartleroad opened his show with an elaborate introduction for every member of the band. Hartleroad has clearly worked on his showman skills, and the idea that one show can be special. He gleefully told me that the band was completely different, and you could certainly hear something out of his truth. I listened and liked it, but again, it didn’t change the world. So does the career maker/ career killer concept go both ways, or have we spiraled to waiting for failure? I don’t know. That would suck pretty badly. Still, the meritocracy of rock is still present, and it may have taken down Lana Del Rey’s sudden career with it.
of Alabama even though he was a business management major. He plans on using his cash prize to buy a frame for the photograph. The gallery, located at 600 Greensboro Ave. in
COLUMN | MUSIC
Performance: the career killer By Trey Irby
show can change the world.” The line is both a mantra and One of the chief lines in the a throwaway joke, considering 2003 Richard Linklater film the film’s release in a world “School of Rock” involves where the idea of a single brilthe idea that “one great rock liant individual performance is more dormant than ever. But can a single performance essentially end a career? Last Friday, I saw the Columbus, Miss., based The Motions at Green Bar. I like the guys, and the performance was fine; however, it didn’t totally blow me away. Something was missing, but it must be said that even if that missing trait was found, I can’t imagine it would suddenly create a massive schism. Rock is supposedly built on a meritocracy, at least the type of rock that appeals to Southern culture. I’ve known many friends who create great music that will simply be fine to play if people listen, and I imagine that’s something they’re okay with. Musicians are far less concerned with the magic “world changer” and more concerned with continually pleasing the crowds they have. We all can’t be Bono. That being said, is this concept one that actually should hold weight again in modern music? After all, we may have seen a career killing performance Saturday night. Lana Del Rey has attracted 1241 McFarland Blvd.. E attention for her song “Video Games,” an overly sad ballad WingZone.com that is motivated to translate Hemingway’s alienation between man and woman into the modern world of video games. It could just be another sad song about how a relationship is doomed; I’m not good at this song interpretation stuff. It seems it is that particular ambiguity
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CBDB brings its own ‘joyfunk’ to Tuscaloosa
Photos submitted CBDB gathers (left) and performs (bottom left). The band is self-described as “joyfunk,â€? which they say is a mixture of all six band members. CBDB plays Jan. 19 at The Booth and Jan. 20 at MoeĘźs Original Bar-B-Que.
By Rebecca Howard Contributing Writer Drive down The Strip of Tuscaloosa and most nights you will hear the sound of CBDB, a local Tuscaloosa band that has played their improvisational jam sound at local bars each week since the summer of 2011. Cy Simonton, who plays guitar and sings, started his musical career focusing on solo projects. Simonton said when he saw Tuscaloosa native Kris Gottlieb playing a jazz concert he was inspired by his sound and musical talent and struck up a conversation. After that, the two searched for other local musicians and the band CBDB came together with bass player Josh Rutherford, saxophone player Glenn Dillard, and Donald DeLoach on percussion for the first time on June 23, 2011. Gottlied said their most recent addition, drummer Matt Belote, has added a funk influence to their sound. “He’s a powerful drummer,� Simonton said. “He’s played with Sting, Lady Antebellum and Cirque du Solei.� CBDB is Tuscaloosa’s very own “jam band� with the incorporation of each members’ different musical background and influences that create an organic sound. Simonton, who draws lyrical inspiration from Paul Simon, said he also draws inspiration from Umphrey’s McGee. Gottlieb. On the other hand said he incorporates his inspiration from Dream Theater and Steely Dan. “Josh [Rutherford] is also into a lot of African world music and that shines through a lot in our sound,� said Simonton. The band just started building their reputation and fan base in June, and play two to three shows each week at bars such as Innisfree, Gallettes, Bear Trap, Green Bar and Top Shelf. Currently the band has nine original songs and is working for 13 before they record this spring at Ol
Elegante recording studio in Birmingham. Lester Nuby of Vulture Whale will produce the album. CBDB identifies their sound as “joyfunk,� a genre of music
they created to describe the mixture of influences each band member brings to the stage. “Joyfunk is kind of the mixture of all six of us in a carefree
O P E N I N G
aspect,� Simonton said. “We don’t take anything too seriously except the technicality in playing. But we keep it fun and light hearted and try to keep it in the moment between the
F A L L
crowd and band.� You can hear CBDB play this weekend with shows Thursday, Jan. 19 at The Booth, Friday, Jan. 20 at Moe’s Original BarB-Que, and Saturday, Jan. 21 at
The Green Bar. For more information on the band visit http://www. facebook.com/CBDBmusic or follow them on Twitter at @ CBDBtweets.
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SPORTS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Tide looking to get ďŹ rst SEC win
Page 14 • Thursday, January 18, 2012 Editor • Tony Tsoulukas crimsonwhitesports@ gmail.com
SPORTS
this weekend THURSDAY • Men’s Basketball vs Vanderbilt: 6 p.m. •Women’s Basketball at Florida: 4 p.m.
By Zac Al-Khateeb Sports Reporter zialkhateeb@crimson.ua.edu
The Alabama women’s basketball team will travel to Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday to take on the Florida Gators (12-6, 2-3 SEC). The Tide (109, 0-5 SEC) will be looking to earn their first Southeastern Conference win on the season. Crimson Tide head coach Wendell Hudson said an SEC win would be huge for his team. “I think a win right now would be awful big for us right now,â€? Hudson said. “Because you know, you keep working hard, I think the team is still working hard and hadn’t stopped playing hard. I thought we’re giving ourselves a chance ‌ to win, we just haven’t been able to get over the hump to get it done. But eventually you really have to have some success.â€? Hudson said the fact that it’s a road game would provide an even greater boost for his team; Florida is 8-3 at home this season. Sophomore Jasmine Robinson added that her team needed to play a perfect game – something she said the Tide hasn’t done all season. “If we have a perfect game, it’ll carry on to the next game,â€? Robinson said. “Because right now, we haven’t had a perfect game. We always have mental lapses in each game so far. So I think if we have one win where we had a perfect game where CW | Amelia J. Brackin everybody does their job, I University of Alabama junior forward Erin Hogue shoots the basketball over two Northwestern state think we’ll be successful from defenders. here on out.â€?
Still, Alabama will face a tough test in Florida against a team that has seen success with perimeter shooting on the season – a task Alabama has had difficulty defending, especially in its last two games. Hudson also said he expects Florida to play zone defense against Alabama to keep them out of the post where Alabama has seen most of its offensive production this season. So far this season, Alabama is making 37 percent of its shots. For Hudson, one of the keys to victory is to sink baskets when they can, rebound and score easy baskets on transitions. “I think that’s the thing we need to do right now, is to get a transition game going,â€? Hudson said. “And so if we can get on the boards, and do a pretty good job on the boards, and then get into a transition game, we can be a lot better. “I think when we’ve played our basketball this year, is when we’ve been a transition basketball team.â€? Robinson said the only thing Alabama has to worry about when it plays Florida is controlling the game through its defense and playing assignment basketball. “I think [Florida] has an allaround good team, so if we just play defense, that’ll do the job for us,â€? Robinson said. “Because that’s where it stands from us anyway. We start off on defense ‌ I think that’ll help us accomplish what we need to do. “If we do our job, we’ll come home with a win.â€?
HOCKEY
FRIDAY • Men’s Tennis vs Northwestern: 5 p.m.
SATURDAY • Men’s Basketball at Kentucky: 11 a.m. • Gymnastics at Penn State: 7 p.m.
Frozen Tide hoping for strong end to season By Miranda Murphy Sports Reporter Better competition and a higher level of play has been the key for the University of Alabama hockey team’s success this year. The Frozen Tide will look to channel that success to new levels this season. The No. 3 Frozen Tide
trails only Florida Gulf Coast University and the University of Central Florida in the American Collegiate Hockey Association’s South region standings. Alabama has played four games against those two teams already this season, as well as ranked teams from the North at a tournament in Michigan. “Any time you’re playing
Live here.
Lead here.
tough competition, you learn how to play against them,� head coach Mike Quenneville said. “We now know what it will take to compete against them.� The Alabama hockey team won the Iron Cup in the fall, sweeping Auburn in a threegame series and bringing the trophy back to Tuscaloosa for the second straight season. Now the team has its sights set on another cup – the South Eastern Collegiate Hockey Conference’s Army Strong Championship Cup. “We’re deeper as a team this year,� club president Ryan Barletta said. “We know we can make it to nationals.� The SECHC is in its fourth full season as the governing body of 10 Southeastern Conference (NCAA) schools that support club hockey teams. An SECHC championship is something that is still missing from the Frozen Tide’s list of accomplishments. Rivals Tennessee and Arkansas have claimed the first three championships. The Frozen Tide (6-0-0 SECHC) is currently tied with Arkansas (6-1-0) in the SECHC West Standings with 12 points. The teams will likely settle the West division crown when they meet during the last weekend of the regular season for a pair of games in Arkansas. “You definitely have to be on top of your game no matter who you’re playing during SEC games,� captain Christian Edge said. Until then, Alabama hockey has a lot on its plate as the team gears up for a conference cham-
Submitted photo Frozen Tide players watch as their teammates ďŹ ght for a win. pionship run as well as a potential National Tournament run. After a pair of games this weekend against rival Tennessee, a traditional powerhouse in the South, the Frozen Tide will host the SECHC Showcase in Pelham, Ala., playing a slate of challenging games that the team hopes will get them ready for the conference tournament and postseason play. “Now it’s the home stretch of the regular season,â€? Barletta said. “It’s time to play our best hockey.â€? The Frozen Tide will have a rematch with No. 2 Central Florida at the SECHC Showcase after losing to the Golden Knights 7-2 in November. “I’m looking forward to play-
ing UCF again,� Edge said. “It’s going to be a big game towards the standingsw.� Alabama will also play South Carolina and Georgia, a pair of teams that have already secured a spot in the SECHC Tournament. Quenneville said the freshmen on the team are adding a new dynamic this season by coming in and helping make the team better right away. “The freshmen are contributing to the team tremendously,� Quenneville said. “Around half of our top-ten are freshmen.� The Frozen Tide will drop the puck at the Pelham Civic Complex in Pelham, Ala. against the Tennessee Volunteers Jan. 20-21.
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16 Wednesday, January 18, 2012
SPORTS
The Crimson White
GYMNASTICS
After ankle injury last season, Priess leads Tide Head coach Sarah Patterson wants the senior to shine but also wants to keep her healthy By Marc Torrence Sports Reporter @marctorrence Last offseason, the University of Alabama gymnastics team brought in a highly touted freshman class who played a major role in winning Alabama’s fourth national championship. Head coach Sarah Patterson recruited another stellar class this year, but the top newcomer on the 2012 team isn’t a freshman; , she’s a senior. Ashley Priess missed the entirety of last season after undergoing surgery on both ankles, but she is back and healthy for 2012 and ready to contribute in a big way to a loaded Crimson Tide squad. “I think Ashley Priess is going to rock,” Patterson said about the senior. “She’s so strong physically and mentally that I just think when she gets out there and is able to perform, it’s just going to be dazzling.” While her teammates put together one of the most accomplished seasons in school history, Priess’ ankle surgery forced her to watch it all from the sidelines. It was a humbling experience for the senior from Wheaton, Ill. “Last year was a very bittersweet year for me,” Priess said. “I was so ecstatic for the team, but at the same time it was the hardest year of my life. It was a constant struggle, constant disappointment, but at the same time it was constant success for the team.” “I think any competitive athlete wants to be out there and wants to be a part of the success,” Patterson said. “So I think it’s very humbling that your team won three championships without you. But on the other hand, it fueled her to be the best she can be right now.” Patterson compares Priess’
Above: Senior Ashley Priess returns to the Tide this season after sitting out last season with an injury. CW | Amelia J. Brackin Right: Ashley Priess competes in the floor exercise against Georgia last weekend. CW | Katie Bennett
“I think Ashley Priess is going to rock. She’s so strong physically and mentally that I just think when she gets out there and is able to perform, it’s just going to be dazzling.” — Sarah Patterson, head coach of Alabama Gymnastics injury last year to wide receiver Marquis Maze, who missed most of the 2011 BCS National Championship game after pulling a hamstring on a punt return. “When I saw Maze on the sidelines the other night … he was teary-eyed because he wasn’t out there in the third quarter,” she said. Priess competed in her first meet in 2012 on Friday against the Georgia Gym Dogs. She participated in the uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. Her score of 9.90 helped Alabama to its first win of the season. “When [assistant coach David Patterson] and I were making up the lineup at the end, I said if it comes down to the end, I want Priess to anchor us on floor,” Patterson said. “I wanted her experience, I wanted her competitiveness and I knew she would
win it for us.” Patterson’s next challenge is managing Priess so she can continue to compete at a high level. The only event she did not participate in was the vault – the event that is hardest on the ankles. Priess has been vaulting in practice but will not compete in it this weekend. “It’s a management thing,” Patterson said. “If I asked her every day to go out and tumble on the hard floor, she would never make it all season.” For many seniors, the last year is a time of reflection and one last chance to go out on top, but for Ashley Priess, it’s a fresh beginning. “I’m just so happy to be doing gymnastics again,” Priess said. “My passion has been completely restored for the sport. I just love competing.”