THURSDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2014 VOLUME 120 ISSUE 83 Serving The University of Alabama since 1894
SPORTS | FOOTBALL
NEWS | OBITUARY
UA mourns loss of student after fatal car accident Friends remember Juston Martin’s kindness, thoughtfulness of others, uplifting personality By Mark Hammontree | News Editor
Photos Courtesy of 247Sports.com and ESPN; Graphics by CW Staff The University of Alabama football team signed 26 new recruits for the 2014 year, including 5-star Auburn native Rashaan Evans.
Evans’ decision solidifies unanimous No. 1 class University of Alabama signs 26 prospects, 6 of 33 5-star recruits By Marc Torrence | Sports Editor Sitting in front of a crowded auditorium, Rashaan Evans reached down below the table to pull out a hat – the preferred method for recruits to announce which school they’re going to attend. Evans reached down and paused, adding a few more seconds to what was already the most anticipated (and only anticipated) moment of Alabama’s National Signing Day. In the end, the Auburn native from Auburn High School spurned Auburn University to attend The University of Alabama, the cherry on top of a class that some are calling the best of all time. The Crimson Tide wrapped up a 2014 signing class of 26 prospects and a quarterback transfer in Jacob Coker. The class is rated No. 1 by all four major recruiting outlets – ESPN, 247Sports, Rivals and Scout.
“Sixteen years of doing this,” Jeremy Crabtree, an ESPN recruiting expert, said on the “Paul Finebaum Show” Wednesday afternoon. “Alabama’s class today is the best I’ve ever seen.” According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, which combines ratings from the four recruiting outlets to create an industry average, Alabama signed six of the 33 prospects recognized as 5-star recruits. Twelve of the 26 signees are either the first- or second-best players in their respective states. Nine are either No. 1 or No. 2 at their positions. “I’m sure that every coach that stands up here today and talks about their recruiting class, I’ve never heard anybody say they’ve had a bad class. I’ve never heard anybody not say they didn’t identify their needs,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “So I’m going to say the same thing. “We had a good class, and we sort of identified our needs. I think the key to that is that we satisfied our needs because we identified those needs SEE FOOTBALL PAGE 12
Juston Martin will always be remembered for the ever-present smile he shined at anyone and everyone he met. Martin passed away the morning of Saturday, Feb. 2, from injuries sustained in a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 65 near Millbrook, Ala. He was 22 years old. Martin, a senior from Montgomery majoring in business management, was an airman in the United States Air Force and a full-time student. He was a student worker at The University of Alabama department of veteran and military affairs, where he interacted with students and families on a daily basis. “Every day, he’d come into the office with a smile on his face, and that was the thing he was notorious for, I would say,” Alex Karagas, assistant director of veteran and military affairs, said. “The angriest parents, or no matter what kind of mood you were in, his smile would really light up the entire office and change everyone’s perspectives on why they came into the office in the first place.” Martin’s friends knew him for his kindness and energy, as well Photo Courtesy of Austin Barranco via Instagram Juston Martin as his thoughtfulness. In addition to his military service and academic work, Martin was also a published poet. “He always had a way of speaking that was extremely eloquent,” Karagas said. “It’s almost like he had his own language, but you knew exactly what he wanted to say.” Candace Lamberto, a senior majoring in management, became close friends with Martin after working with him in the office of veteran and military affairs. “He was a great person to just be able to sit down and talk to,” Lamberto said. “He was always charismatic when he came into the office, and he always did what he had to do.” Martin was laid to rest with full military honors in Mary Magdalene Cemetery in Shorter, Ala., after funeral services were held at noon at Hutchison Missionary Baptist Church in Montgomery. “We mourn the loss of Juston Martin, and our hearts go out to his family and friends,” Tim Hebson, dean of students, said in a statement. “His presence as a part of the UA community will certainly be missed.” — Candace Lamberto Lamberto said Martin always knew how to cheer people up, and anyone who met him felt better in his presence. “Every morning, even if I was having the worst morning ever, I would see him walk in, dressed very professionally all the time – had all of his stuff together – and would just say, ‘Hello. How’s it going? How are you today, Miss Candace?’” Lamberto said. “That was [the] thing I loved most about him; [it] was that the littlest thing he said could make someone’s day. He touched a lot of people’s hearts just by smiling at them and saying good morning.” Karagas said everyone who knew Martin is a better person from having known him. “He never had a bad day, it seems like – he was always unwavering, and with that smile on his face, he would always ensure that everyone felt like they were special,” Karagas said. “One thing that other students have said is that they felt like they were better persons from being around him because he brought so much energy to our office by providing that kind of comfort zone to everybody.”
He touched a lot of people’s hearts just by smiling at them and saying good morning.
TODAYON CAMPUS
Ple a
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Thursday
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today
WHAT: Mental Health Monologues: Erase the Stigma WHEN: 7-8:30 p.m. WHERE: Ferguson Theater
pa
Briefs Opinions Culture
WHAT: Environmental Stress in Nature: Case of Bumble Bees WHEN: 2 p.m. WHERE: Nightingale Room, Rodgers Library
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today’s paper
WEATHER
WHAT: “Darkroom” Graphic Novel Presentation WHEN: Noon - 1 p.m. WHERE: 205 Gorgas Library
Campus performance
recycle thi
WHAT: J-Day WHEN: 8:30 a.m. - 8 p.m. WHERE: 338 Reese Phifer Hall
Lightning lecture
CONTACT
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Journalism fair
editor@cw.ua.edu
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CAMPUSBRIEFS
Thursday February 6, 2014
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Basketball team loses to Arkansas The Alabama men’s basketball team dropped its ninth road game of the season at Arkansas 65-58 Wednesday night. Junior guard Rodney Cooper posted a doubledouble with 22 points and 10 rebounds in the losing effort. The Crimson Tide dropped to 9-13 on the season and 3-6 in SEC play. The Tide will travel to Gainesville, Fla., on Saturday to face the No. 3 Florida Gators.
SCENEON CAMPUS
Medical Center opens new branch The University Medical Center, operated by The University of Alabama, now has a second location. Dr. Jennifer Clem, assistant professor in the department of family medicine at the University’s College of Community Health Sciences, recently joined University Medical Center-Warrior Family Medicine and is accepting new patients. In the College of Community Health Sciences, she instructs resident physicians in the Family Medicine Residency. University Medical Center-Warrior Family Medicine was formed last year after Dr. H. Joseph Fritz and his practice, Warrior Family Practice, joined the college. Fritz, who has been in private practice in Tuscaloosa since 1978, continues to see patients at University Medical Center-Warrior Family Medicine. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Fritz, call 205348-6122. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Clem, call 205-348-6123. Dr. Clem will see patients Monday afternoons and all day Thursdays.
Photo Courtesy of UA Athletics Head coach Nick Saban addresses the media following a successful signing day.
FRIDAY
Ambassador applications available The University of Alabama Honors College is now taking applications for Honors College Ambassadors for the 2014-15 school year. Honors College Ambassadors serve as the official student ambassadors for Honors College. They are students who represent and promote the Honors College through interaction with prospective students, current students, campus visitors, faculty and staff. A panel of faculty, staff and former ambassadors will select applicants to be interviewed. Applicants selected for an interview will be able to sign up for an interview time that will take place Feb. 12-19. Applications are due by noon Friday. Ambassadors must be available for bi-weekly meetings held Thursdays 5-6 p.m.
P.O. Box 870170 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 Newsroom: 348-6144 | Fax: 348-8036 Advertising: 348-7845 Classifieds: 348-7355
THURSDAY WHAT: Journalism ‘J-Day’ WHEN: 8:30 a.m. - 8 p.m. WHERE: 338 Reese Phifer Hall WHAT: ‘Darkroom’ Graphic Novel Presentation WHEN: Noon - 1 p.m. WHERE: 205 Gorgas Library WHAT: ‘Eyes to See from the Other’ Presentation WHEN: 2:15 p.m. WHERE: 205 Gorgas Library
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WHAT: ‘Scottsboro Boys: The Fred Hiroshige Photographs” Exhibit Reception WHEN: 5-7:30 p.m. WHERE: Paul R. Jones Gallery
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WHAT: 2014 Great Tuscaloosa Chili Cook-off WHEN: 11 a.m. WHERE: Bryant Conference Center
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WHAT: Glen Templeton with the Mojo Trio WHEN: 4 p.m. WHERE: Rhythm & Brews
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WHAT: Super Saturday! WHEN: 10 a.m. WHERE: Children’s Hands-on Museum
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WHAT: International Coffee Hour WHEN: 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. WHERE: 121 BB Comer Hall
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WHAT: UA L.E.A.D.S. WHEN: 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. WHERE: Ferguson Center
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WHAT: The Avenue Pub Ribbon Cutting WHEN: 10:30 a.m. WHERE: 405 23rd Ave.
WHAT: After Dark Party WHEN: 8 p.m. WHERE: Hive Bang Gaming
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LUNCH
DINNER
Steak Sautéed Zucchini and Tomatoes Grilled Vegetable Rotini Salad Steamed Mixed Vegetables Vegetable Lo Mein with Tofu
Thai Red Curry Chicken Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken Jasmine Rice Orange Spiced Carrots Lemon Sugar Snap Peas
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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 in room 1014, Student Media Building, 414 Campus Drive East. The advertising mailing address is P.O. Box 870170, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487. 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 870170, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487. The Crimson White is entered as periodical postage at Tuscaloosa, AL 35401. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Crimson White, P.O. Box 870170, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487. All material contained herein, except advertising or where indicated otherwise, is Copyright © 2014 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.
DINNER
LUNCH Steak Basa Slider Steakhouse Potatoes Carrots Quinoa and Red Pepper Slider
IN THENEWS
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LUNCH
Country-Style Meatloaf Baked Chipotle Orange with Gravy Chicken Chicken and Broccoli Meat Lover’s Mini Cheddar Panini Calzone Mashed Potatoes with Steakhouse Potatoes Corn Steamed Peas and Glazed Carrots Onions Grilled Veggie and Black Gazpacho Salad Bean Wrap
Facebook launches Paper, the company’s news application sports, cooking, even “pride,” a section on gay rights. The image-rich format is SAN FRANCISCO – If you want to get colorful and uncluttered. There are no a glimpse of Facebook’s future, download buttons to click or menus to navigate. Paper, the social network’s new mobile The overall experience is much like news reader. The app for the iPhone is leafing through the pages of a glossy part of what Facebook says is its big push magazine, albeit one on a very small to deliver “the best personalized screen. newspaper in the world.” Paper owes that look and feel to Mike But it’s more than just an app for Matas and his team at Facebook Creative reading news. It’s Facebook reimagined Labs, a new company initiative charged for the smaller screen. Paper doesn’t just with coming up with new apps. Matas help users discover news on dozens of designed software for the original iPhone. topics. It can also be used by users to Facebook bought his company, Push browse their News Feed, get messages Pop Press, in 2011. Paper may succeed and notifications and search Facebook. where other Facebook experiments, That has led some observers to speculate such as Home software for Android that, if popular with users, Paper could phones and the Snapchat clone Poke become the new face of Facebook on failed because it plays into how users mobile devices, one day replacing the already consume news and information current Facebook app for smartphones on Facebook, Gartner Research analyst and tablets. For now, Facebook wants to Brian Blau said. establish Paper as the go-to news reader, “Many people use Facebook for taking on Google News, Twitter, mobile consuming news they find interesting,” app Flipboard and LinkedIn’s Pulse. Blau said. “I think the Facebook Paper Facebook Inc. declined to say how app may have a bit more success than many people have downloaded the app, some of the other app failures that which became available Monday. The Facebook has had in the past mainly effort comes after Facebook changed because news has been a central tenet what kinds of news users see in their of the Facebook interface for many News Feed. In December, Facebook years.” began favoring what it calls “high quality” Facebook has been working on news publishers over viral videos and developing stand-alone apps as a way to other Web content. With Paper, users catch up to the emerging trend of apps swipe to browse their News Feed or developed for specific purposes, such as stories on topics including technology, Instagram for photo-sharing and
MCT Campus
Snapchat and WhatsApp for messaging. In 2012, when Instagram was surging in popularity, Facebook built a separate Camera app. Then it bought Instagram for $1 billion in cash and stock. In December 2012, Facebook launched Poke, a clone of Snapchat, the popular app that makes messages disappear after they are viewed. Poke flopped. Facebook bid $3 billion for Snapchat Inc. but was rebuffed. Last year it redesigned its stand-alone Messenger app, which is growing in popularity. The goal: to keep users deeply engaged so the company can continue to show them ads and command high ad prices. Last week, Facebook reported betterthan-expected ad sales, which lifted the stock to record highs. Danny Sullivan, founding editor of Marketing Land, spent time playing with Paper this week. He said the app reminded him of the lush visual feel of Google Inc.’s rival social network, Plus. “Apps and consumption of media have become much more visual, much more focused around photos,” Sullivan said. “The existing Facebook app did not allow Facebook to offer that to users.” Paper could become habit-forming, Sullivan said. “I’m intrigued by it personally because I like to sit at lunch time and read news stories,” Sullivan said. “I might fire up the app if it delivers good news content.”
p.3 Mark Hammontree | Editor newsdesk@cw.ua.edu
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Nonfiction writing award honors Sikora author By Jenna Losh | Contributing Writer The Clarence Cason Award in Nonfiction Writing, named for the founder of the University of Alabama department of journalism, will be awarded Friday to Alabama writer Frank Sikora. Wilson Lowrey, chair of the journalism department, was on the committee that chose Sikora. As the new chair of the journalism department, this was his first experience on the committee. Lowrey maintains the importance of the legacy of Cason, whose leadership brought about the creation of the University’s journalism department, where many of Cason’s notions of what makes a good journalism school are still honored. “There’s a human side, and there’s a reason side to this department,” Lowrey said. “Cason envisioned that.” Cason was a highly influential writer in the South during the Civil Rights Movement, but his internal struggles eventually led to his death by suicide, shortly before the publication of his then-controversial book, “90 Degrees in the Shade.”
WHAT TO KNOW •The 2014 Clarence Cason Award in Nonfiction Writing recipient is Frank Sikora. •The award is named for Clarence Cason, the founder of the UA department of journalism. •Sikora has worked in journalism at The Gadsden Times and The Birmingham News.
“Like many people then, he straddled the fence between his conscience and his society,” journalism professor Chris Roberts said. The criteria of the award include a Southern focus and impact in the world of journalism and literature. Award recipients must also have a strong connection to the state of Alabama. Journalism professor Rick Bragg received the award in 2004, and other distinguished writers have won in previous years, including author
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Homer Hickam and journalist Howell Raines. “Alabama’s had a great tradition of nonfiction writers who write about the human condition,” Bragg said. Frank Sikora will be a guest of the University to receive the award Friday. Sikora has gained respect among the Southern literary and journalistic community for his work on the Civil Rights Movement, such as his book, “Selma, Lord, Selma,” which has been produced as a TV movie. Sikora got his start in newspaper journalism at The Gadsden Times and then moved to The Birmingham News, where he worked for many years alongside current faculty at the department of journalism, often serving as a mentor for Bragg. “He was a good, great writer. I think his stories always had heart,” Bragg said. “The best mentors are the ones who you look at their work and you say, ‘You know, I’d like to do that.’ His work showed how to write with the flavor of the place I lived.” UA News Sikora, who is currently retired, said he was surprised and pleased at The University of Alabama department of journalism will award Frank Sikora the Clarence Cason Award. learning he won the award.
NEWSIN BRIEF Weather service warns of snow
Hazing hotline available to students
The National Weather Service is predicting the possibility of rain and snow in parts of central Alabama between 2 and 10 p.m. Thursday, according to an email from UA News. The prediction is currently isolated to the area south of I-20, with the area of possible accumulation farther south. However, both of these areas could shift farther south or north. Temperatures are expected to remain slightly above freezing, though a deviation of a couple of degrees could result in either all snow or all rain. The NWS warns that the system is still highly uncertain. Students are asked to pay attention to weather sources in case conditions worsen, and The University of Alabama emergency preparedness group is monitoring the situation. If needed, information will be made available through radio and TV stations, texts, emails and www.ua.edu. Commuters can check road conditions between their home and campus by going to alitsweb.dot.state.al.us/ roadconditions.
Students, parents, faculty and others can report incidents of discrimination, harassment, hazing or any kind of unhealthy behavior to The University of Alabama’s 24-hour hazing and harassment hotline at 205-348-HALT (4258). Anyone calling the hotline can leave a confidential message with the Office of the Dean of Students. Callers are asked to include as much detailed information about an incident as possible. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 348-3326 or hazing.ua.edu.
Travel scholarship application due The UA Away scholarship application for May interim, summer and fall trips is available online through March 1. The scholarship allows students to work, serve or study away, either domestically or internationally, and is awarded based on need. The application can be accessed at sa.ua.edu/uaAway.
p.4 John Brinkerhoff | Editor letters@cw.ua.edu
Thursday, Febuary 6, 2014
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
In response to ‘Buffer zone at anti-abortion protests is the least that can be done’
CW | Talia Scarpelli
COLUMN | COLLEGE STANDINGS
Arbitrary rankings are not useful By John Speer | Senior Staff Columnist I’ve always questioned why our colleges proudly brandish their standing in the U.S. News and World Report’s “best ranked” colleges and universities. I am proud to be a graduate of The University of Alabama and even more satisfied to receive my second degree from the school, but little of my pride is derived from my school’s standing among those nebulous rankings. These lists are often unreliable as each publication acquires and uses different information to compute their numerical score. Accordingly, each magazine, be it Forbes, U.S. News or the Princeton Review, often contains vastly different information on where a school stands compared to the rest. As the U.S. News rankings attract a devoted following and are widely regarded as the most controversial, let us focus on how they calculate their scores. Using information provided by the universities, U.S. News scores colleges and universities by summing a score from the following: alumni donations, graduation rate (for liberal arts and national universities), financial aid, faculty resources (which is a collection of factors like average class size and student-to-teacher ratio) acceptance rate, student retention and peer assessment of the performance of other schools, performed by the top three officials of each school. Although some of these criteria are reasonable, such as retention, student-tofaculty ratio and the graduation rate, the others are highly questionable. Alumni contributions indicate a certain amount of loyalty and respect for the alma mater. Yet, this number will inevitably be greater at private institutions that do not
John Speer receive any public funding. Moreover, as private institutions rank highest in their percentage of alumni giving (and often highest in quality in these magazines), we might want to look deeper. Private schools rely on their alumni to fund essential programs and increase their endowment. Further, their campuses are smaller, and they often take great lengths to bind their students to campus life and to one another, creating a greater affinity for and loyalty to their school. Similarly, these smaller campuses must have lower acceptance rates than large public universities and medium-sized schools. Consequently, the acceptance rate has little to do with the quality of the education you will receive, and more importantly, it does not take into account how larger universities must recruit more students to maintain funding and quality for their programs. Finally, but perhaps most interesting, is the peer assessment. Why on earth would you ask participants in a survey to rank their competition, especially since they may not be familiar with the school? More disturbingly, why does this constitute a quarter of the entire score? How does the assessment of other schools reliably
indicate what one school is doing to prepare its student body? Moreover, why are the schools performing the assessment and not the U.S. News? As no favorable answers to these questions are apparent, I must conclude that the U.S. News rankings constitute little more than lame science. U.S. News benefits from a long-standing American obsession with “best of” lists and scores. As you can see from a look at how they calculate those scores, it has little to do with the factors we may consider “best” when selecting an institution of higher learning. These magazines rely on student anxiety to sell their materials and promotional goods. They promise you in-depth evaluations of the greatest colleges and universities, but their measuring standards do not indicate how financially successful you may become, the bonds you develop during your college experience, your immediate job opportunities post-graduation, your social and intellectual development or the value of the college for the money spent. When our schools brandish these unreliable numbers as a benchmark of how far we have come, we play into the paranoia and the numbers game created by these institutions for their own benefit. As a graduate, I will definitively argue that The University of Alabama does not need the superficial endorsement of the U.S. News. One day, I hope not to see their reports displayed on banners or posted on websites. Then we can free ourselves from the false sense of security they attempt to provide. John Speer is a graduate student in secondary education. His column runs weekly.
I’m writing in response to “Buffer zone at anti-abortion protests is the least that can be done” by Samaria Johnson. Ms. Johnson made a number of untrue claims that, as someone who spends time outside our local abortion facility, I would like to address. Among the host of her claims, in reference to pro-lifers like myself outside abortion centers, is that “there’s no real concern for patients’ well-being. The least obnoxious of their signs pictures a preterm fetus underneath the words ‘Choose Life.’ Another warns that abortion kills a life.” Bama Students for Life and the 40 Days for Life campaign outside the West Alabama Women’s Center, the largest abortion provider in Alabama, represent a large portion of people who realize that abortion hurts both the child it dismembers and his or her mother. Just as Ms. Johnson believes that “escorting patients from their cars to the clinic’s front door is one way” she expresses her belief, we have the right and societal duty to offer women alternatives to the devastating decision of abortion. We do this peacefully and respectfully but with the urgency of knowing that we are the last sign many women look for if they are wavering on their decision. Last semester, in fact, six mothers didn’t go through with their abortions because of our 40 Days for Life campaign. Despite Ms. Johnson’s erroneous claims, none of our literature includes “debunked and unscientific information or lots of Bible verses.” On the contrary, our packets contain information that women have a right to know before they make such a life-changing decision. There is nothing “unscientific” about providing women with vital details, such as the fact that their developing child has a heartbeat at three weeks, and at 20 weeks’ gestation, a fetus can feel pain. Ms. Johnson condemned the anti-abortion position as being “obnoxious.” The vast majority of Americans do not share her position. In 2012, Gallop reported that only 38 percent of Americans view abortion as “morally acceptable.” The same survey showed that only 25 percent of Americans believe abortion should be legal under any circumstances. This survey also noted that 50 percent of our fellow citizens describe themselves as being “pro-life” while only 41 percent describe themselves as “pro-choice,” with the latter decreasing in most similar polls conducted since the early 2000s. Furthermore, Ms. Johnson’s claims that “[abortion is] by far one of the safest medical procedures anyone can undergo” ignores the reality that abortion is never safe for the whole, distinct living human being it kills, nor is it safe for the scores of women who have been killed, rendered infertile or otherwise maimed by dangerous abortionists like LeRoy Carhart and Bruce Norman. I challenge anyone who thinks abortion is “safe” to watch a video of a late-term abortion. The overwhelming majority of people will find it violent and extremely disturbing. Finally, in reference to sidewalk counselors such as myself, Ms. Johnson stated, “None of them are truly pro-life. They seem to only be for forced births.” I can personally attest that people like my fellow pro-life students are the reason that I’m alive right now. As the last of three children, I was one of those often called “unwanted pregnancies.” My parents already had one boy and one girl and were barely financially stable. Doctors told my mother due to her older age of 44, complications or developmental abnormalities could arise. Statistically, my chances of being aborted were very high due to being both African-American and a third conceived child, but thankfully my mother chose to give me life instead. She never lets me forget how much she is glad I am a part of her life and how much joy I give her. When my friends and I go to the West Alabama Women’s Center, we do so because we value life. Consequently, we value and defend the lives of others. This means trying to save the most defenseless members of the human family – those in the womb – while also supporting their mothers. Those of us involved in the anti-abortion movement are motivated by love and compassion for mothers and their children, and our actions outside the West Alabama Women’s Center reflect this. Anthony Berry is a freshman majoring in political science.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Remembering Juston Martin The first memory I have of Juston Martin comes from a middle school football practice in 2005 when we were both in eighth grade. This was a long time ago, but I wanted to highlight this memory because it shows Juston’s true character. During Juston’s middle school and high school years, people called him “Peanut” because he was so small, and being a “Peanut” on a football team is never an advantage. I was about the same size as Juston in eighth grade, so he and I were usually paired together for different drills in practice. Because of our size, coach often excluded Juston and I from hitting drills. Although we worked hard, we never got to step foot on the field when Friday nights came around. One day I finally turned to Juston and said
something along these lines, “Man, we come to practice four days a week, and we still haven’t played in a game yet. Coach hardly even lets us participate in practice. I think I’m going to quit and try soccer or something.” Juston looks back at me and says something along these lines, “You know what? You’re right. We come out here just as much as everyone else, and they don’t even let us practice. I’m not putting up with this anymore.” He turned around and jogged out onto the field where Coach Turner was standing and tapped him on the shoulder. A few seconds later, Juston was on the field scrimmaging with the rest of the team. I will never know what he said to Coach Turner that day in practice, but whatever it was, it worked.
My first instincts were to complain, quit football and take up another sport. The word “quit” was not even in Juston’s vocabulary. He didn’t just talk the talk. Juston walked the walk. He always had a positive attitude, and he didn’t take no for an answer. Not even from our eighth grade football coach. Since that day in middle school, Juston hadn’t changed. He was an exemplary student in The University of Alabama’s business school, and I frequently enjoyed his company while studying in the Bashinsky Lab. When he wasn’t studying, he could be found working the register at Publix with that contagious grin on his face. Juston was an integral part of the UA community, and he was a friend to everyone he met. His
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WE WELCOME YOUR OPINIONS
Mazie Bryant editor-in-chief
Letters to the editor must contain fewer than 300 words and guest columns less than 800. Send submissions to letters@ cw.ua.edu. Submissions must include the author’s name, year, major and daytime phone number. Phone numbers are for verification and will not be published. Students should also include their year in school and major. The Crimson White reserves the right to edit all guest columns and letters to the editor.
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appreciation for life radiated through his smile every single day, and he inspired everyone he came across. The pain of this loss has been difficult, but Juston wouldn’t want us to be upset for his sake, so instead of mourning his death, I would like to celebrate Juston’s life. Juston was a man of true honor and character. He was always planning something big, and he had a knack for success. He had an irreplaceable personality, and he always put his family and friend’s needs before his own. The city of Montgomery, The University of Alabama and everyone who knew Juston was better because of him, and he will truly be missed. Austin Barranco is a senior majoring in finance.
Last Week’s Poll: How do you feel about your relationship with Siri? (Who is Siri?, 28%) (We’re not on speaking terms, 22%) (Aquaintances, 22%) (Frenemies, 20%) (Besties, 8%) This Week’s Poll: Do you know how Bitcoins work? cw.ua.edu/poll
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Thursday, Febraury 6, 2014
COLUMN | ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
‘Discovering Alabama’ owes its success to Judy Bonner’s generous money allocations
What is suitable for a science class?
By Asher Elbein | Staff Columnist Friends, faculty and fellow students of The University of Alabama, I come not to bury Judy Bonner, but to praise her. This is, I will admit, uncommon for me. Those who read this column will know that the majority of my writing thus far has taken aim at the iniquities and follies that populate this fair university and those who attend it. I don’t apologize for that; the job of an opinions columnist is to have opinions, and those opinions will, more often than not, be deployed in the service of pointing out issues that bother us. However, scolding alone doesn’t do the trick. It’s also important to recognize people who are doing something worthwhile, and all the more so if they aren’t calling attention to it themselves. Calling out those who are wrong means nothing if you don’t commend people who are doing something right. Recently, I conducted an interview with Doug Phillips, the producer and star of “Discovering Alabama,” a natural history show well known and beloved all over the state. Phillips was working as an environmental advocate in Alabama long before such a thing was even remotely acceptable, back when caring about ecology was seen as the sole provenance of communists and hippie wackos. When he started the show in 1985, he faced strong political opposition from both politicians and from the University itself. “The University told me to my face that it was not interested in having an ‘environmental profile,’” Phillips said. Eventually, he said, they tried to run him off. They wanted a happy nature show, and he wanted to draw attention to the dangerous waste, pollution and neglect that was eating away at the rural countryside. As a result of those early disagreements, “Discovering Alabama” has had to struggle to raise enough money to keep the show going and to maintain the salaries of those who work on it. The thing is, “Discovering Alabama” is important. Phillip’s show has helped thousand of kids grow up with an appreciation for the nature around them and an understanding of how it must be protected. Popular Alabama programs like Forever
Asher Elbein Wild would not exist without Phillips and his show. Ongoing efforts to protect the natural heritage of the state gain quite a bit from having a friendly face, especially one who’s willing to put in such incredibly long hours to bring attention to them. But with the advent of the recession, a lot of the money that Phillips needed to keep “Discovering Alabama” going has dried up. That means he and his crew had to make hard choices about how they used the money they raised. Sometimes that meant forgoing salaries in order to keep the show funded. Which brings us, at last, back to Bonner. Phillips said when Bonner realized “Discovering Alabama” was struggling, she pitched in and volunteered to cover staff salaries for the past two years. “That’s kept us going,” Phillips said. “It’s very possible that we would have crashed and burned without her help. And this is the first time someone that high up at this institution has given us that kind of support.” It’s a small gesture, to be sure. But it’s also an important one. “Discovering Alabama” has been important for maintaining awareness of both the beauty of Alabama’s wilderness and the issues that threaten it. And due to Bonner’s help, it will hopefully be able to continue doing so for some time to come. And that, as far as I’m concerned, is a deed worth recognizing. Asher Elbein is a senior in New College. His column runs biweekly.
Yesterday’s debate between Ken Ham, creationist and advocate and founder of the Creationist Museum, and Bill Nye the Science Guy, posited the question, “Is creationism a viable model of origins in today’s scientific era?” This is a controversial question in these United States because of our vast religious population. The impetus of this debate began with a YouTube video where Bill Nye claimed that teaching creationism in schools’ science classes is a toxic thing that will stifle scientific inquiry. Ken Ham made a video to counter that point, and they decided to share a stage and talk it out. Ken Ham tried to establish his opposing viewpoint in two ways, arbitrarily splitting science into two categories (one that is knowable and one that is not: observational and historical, respectively) and citing support from a handful of successful scientists (with the inventor of the MRI as the centerpiece). By declaring the discussion of origins to be within the realm of historical science, Ken claimed that no conclusion can be made about the past using evidence we can observe today. As a result, we have only one option: to trust in the literal description of creation as detailed in Genesis, which includes a young Earth (roughly 6,000 years old), global flood, the Tower of Babel to account for multiple languages and cultures of the society, no death before original sin, humans living side-by-side with prehistoric dinosaurs, orchard-like “kind” evolution of species, etc. He claimed that the results of such a belief have been proven by observational science and cited the work and support of a few scientists that identify as creationists. Bill Nye, surprisingly, was on the offensive from the get-go (besides from a friendly “I learned something,” following Ken’s presentation). Instead of trying to support the merits of the currently taught models of origins, he poked holes in creationism’s logic, a fair move considering the topic asks if it is viable. An onslaught of well-established and accepted points were served to cripple the creationist’s argument, including: the existence of stars that are millions of light-years away (proving that they existed millions of years ago to emit this light), ice cores that show hundreds of thousands of layers that suggests
Bill Nye, surprisingly, was on the offensive from the get-go.
many summer and winter cycles occurred, nuclear decay measurements that show rocks to be billions of years old, the universal background noise that supports the Big Bang theory and a 13 billion year old universe, lack of kangaroos outside of Australia, lack of a fossil record of coexistence of prehistoric species, the ridiculous necessity of 40 new species a day that must be created to meet the requirement of the current number of species from the amount of time since Noah’s flood, etc. He shot down the distinction between observable and historical science as one not made in “mainstream” academic settings (who would just call it science). From there, there was a fair amount of back and forth. To Ken’s credit, he showed some creationists are able to succeed in science, but Bill countered by calling them the exception. They are also excluded from of the billions of religious people out there that do not take the Bible to be literal, believe in a higher power while still supporting the findings of the scientific community or actually taking part as scientists. You can watch the two-hour-and-45-minute debate yourself while coming to your own conclusions, but the ideas that each debater kept going back to made it easy for me: “Let’s keep looking, let’s keep searching.” – Bill Nye “There’s a book about that, and it already has the answers.” – Ken Ham Which is more suited for a science class? Nicholas De Leon is a Ph.D. candidate in metallurgical and materials engineering.
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Thursday, February 6, 2014
Gorgas series to host author of graphic novel By Tyler Waldrep | Contributing Writer
CW | Austin Bigoney The Culverhouse College of Commerce is accepting business plan entries for the potential to win a share of $50,000 in startup funds.
Business competition funds winning startups By Karly Weigel | Contributing Writer The Edward K. Aldag Business Plan Competition will award three University of Alabama students $50,000 in start up funds and in-kind services to make their entrepreneurial dreams a reality. To apply, students must submit a three-minute video pitch, two-page executive summary and proposed budget by Friday at 11:59 p.m. The deadline was extended due to the recent snow. Lou Marino, professor of entrepreneurship and strategic management and coordinator for the Entrepreneurship Program in the Culverhouse College of Commerce, said the friendly competition allows students to network with local business leaders. “If you don’t enter, you can’t win. There is no danger in the process, and everyone gets positive feedback to take their ideas to the next level,” Marino said. “Try to talk to some people who might actually use your product and get their feedback.” Marino said 10 students applied for the competition last year. The number is up this year, with 15 to 20 students applying so far. The pool of candidates will be narrowed down to five students for the final round. The three students selected will share $15,000 for their startup businesses. They will also receive $35,000 worth of inkind prizes, including work space at The Edge and free consulting from accountants and attorneys. The students will share another $5,000 for incidental expenses. J. Michael Hardin, dean of Culverhouse College of Commerce, said he believes the competition gives students great experience that they can use after graduation. “Many companies give you six months to contribute and earn your place. It is important to show your value,” Hardin said. “This competition helps students pick up the entrepreneurial attitude and provides opportunities to prepare for the next level.” In the fall, the Culverhosue College of Commerce hosts multiple training
sessions to get students ready for the pitch competition, as well as the business competition in the spring. Katherine McLarney, a senior majoring in finance and economics, said she has been working at Forza Financial for the past four years. Forza Financial won the business plan competition last year, even though the business had opened three years prior. “The Business Plan Competition provided Forza Financial with the opportunity to expand,” McLarney said. “The office space and prize package helped Forza decrease operating expenses, which allowed us to further ‘Build a Better Alabama’ by continuing to provide financial capital, seminars and business coaching to local entrepreneurs.” Last year was the pilot stage for the business competition. The competition is open to all UA students, regardless of major or background. All students are encouraged to apply, no matter how big or small the business idea may be. Michael Aronowitz, a senior majoring in business management created Tutor Me Now after winning the competition. His tutoring service assists UA students in various academic topics. Aronowitz said the company was founded in 2012 with the help of Carson Tinker. “Winning the Edward K. Aldag Business Plan Competition has impacted my personal goals in ways that it allowed for me to save and manage my money in order to move forward, especially if I chose to continue pursuing this career after graduation,” Aronowitz said. “It set the foundation for Tutor Me Now to grow as a company. It really shows you in the professional world that you are capable of accomplishing your goals. You just have to put forth the effort.” The competition will conclude with a live finale Thursday, Feb. 27, at The Edge in downtown Tuscaloosa. For more information or to apply for the competition, go online at mycba.ua.edu/businessplan.
Author Lila Quintero Weaver will speak at Gorgas Library on Thursday as the second author in the current “Authors @ Gorgas” series. This lecture series, presented by the University of Alabama Press, hosts Alabama writers who have recently published work. The first author featured in the series was Robert Oliver Mellown, whose book highlighted architecture and lesserknown facts about the campus of The University of Alabama. Future authors include R. Scot Duncan, Philip D. Beidler and Nimrod Frazer. J.D. Wilson, an employee of the University of Alabama Press, said Weaver’s work, “Darkroom: a Memoir in Black and White,” offers a different take Submitted on Alabama’s usually dichotomous race Lila Quintero Weaver relations. “[It is] the story of a little girl who didn’t fit neatly into ‘black’ or ‘white,’” the Latino experience of living in the Wilson said. “Lila cracks the rigid, two- South in the 1960s. When asked how life sided, either-or framework that could as a Latina in the South has changed over the years, Weaver said one really stunt both our underof the main differences is standing of what we were how much more common all taking part in, as well as Latinos are becoming in the perhaps the sorts of solustate. tions open to us.” “When we arrived in Wilson said the graphic Alabama in 1961, Latinos novel format that Weaver were rare,” Weaver said. chose to tell her story “Just yesterday I read a stamakes the complex subject tistic from the Pew Research — Lila Quintero Weaver of civil rights accessible to Center that the Latino popreaders. ulation of Alabama almost “[It] opens up ways to doubled between 2000 and understand the civil rights movement to students in a way that a 2010. We’re more visible now, and that dense 700-page history book would not,” makes us more likely to draw negative reactions from people who feel wary of Wilson said. Weaver said her background led her to demographic shifts.” Weaver said attendees of the second choose the graphic novel format. installment of “Authors @ Gorgas” can “Visual art has long been a part of my life,” Weaver said. “Not so with writing. expect to hear her speak on the nuts and Sometime in the early 2000s, when I first bolts of the process and artistic choices came across a graphic memoir, it clicked as they relate to graphic novels. She also said those who are perhaps not as serious with me. This is how I can tell my story.” Weaver’s story is filled with memora- about graphic novels can come to hear a ble moments in her life, but she said the discussion of immigration and race and most notable is the depiction of a time in her family’s experiences related to them.
When we arrived in Alabama in 1961, Latinos were rare.
1965 when violence between a white mob and black protesters broke out near her house. Although Weaver said at the time she did not see or even understand exactly what was happening around her, her father filmed some of the marches and the ensuing violence. The story expands beyond the author and her family, but at its heart, it is still an autobiography that tells the story of
PLAN TO GO WHAT: “Darkroom: a Memoir in Black and White” graphic novel presentation WHEN: Noon - 1 p.m. WHERE: 205 Gorgas
Construction Install silt fences and other sediment/ erosion controls. Minimize disturbed areas during construction. Seed and mulch bare areas as soon as possible. Direct stormwater away from the construction site.
For questions, concerns, or to report potential stormwater violations, contact the Office of Environmental Safety at 348-5905
The
CW
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Thursday, February 6, 2014
CW | Austin Bigoney Street closings and unsafe conditions during the snowy weather forced many commuters to abandon their means of travel and finish their journeys the safest remaining way, by foot.
Professors, students adjust after snow closures By Greg Ward | Contributing Writer Dripping water, the crunch of snow and a cool breeze were all anyone heard on The University of Alabama’s campus for two days last week, when snow shut down most of the Southeast. Tuscaloosa and the University received around two inches of snow last Tuesday and Wednesday. That, along with freezing temperatures, forced the University to shut down Wednesday, January 29, and Thursday, January 30. While many students enjoyed the time off to rest and relax, it put just about everyone else on campus – professors, student-teachers and teaching assistants – in a bind. With the cancellation of school for almost three days, teachers are being forced to cram, reschedule and cut things from their syllabuses.
The University does not reschedule classes or make up days of school. — Cathy Andreen “Some teachers canceled assignments, but I have other professors that actually added assignments during the snow day cancellations,” Emily Bryant, a sophomore majoring in elementary education, said. “One professor even emailed us and said that he encouraged us to work ahead of the schedule during the days off.”
“The University does not reschedule classes or make up days of school when classes are canceled due to the weather,” Cathy Andreen, director of media relations, said. “Each professor determines how to cover the material for his or her classes. The dates of spring break, final exams and commencement will not be impacted by the snow.” With the University not touching any major dates in the spring semester, the responsibility for schedule adjustment falls on professors and teachers around campus. Bill Gerdes, a professor of journalism, teaches two classes and said the days off due to the snow did not hinder his class schedule. “Since both my classes meet once a week and both are lengthy, I think we can adjust fairly easily,” Gerdes said. “I did have to change both the schedule and
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syllabus for both of my classes, though.” Eric Harper, a senior majoring in management and information systems, said most of his professors just moved everything back. “We’ve had to push back all our assignments to have more time to do them,” Harper said. “Nothing could be done about our tests, so we’ve had to find a way to go over the lectures in class sooner for the test.” With many assignments being pushed back, more work being put on students and less time to get the work done, some students are wondering if it was worth canceling school for almost three full days. Harper said that he enjoyed the break even though he had online work still due for his classes. “It gave me a much-needed rest to catch up on some work,” he said.
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Ann Bourne, a media specialist in the William E. Winters Reading Room, noticed an unusual amount of students in the study area last Friday. “We were not overwhelmed, but we had students working and meeting here all day long,” Bourne said. She also mentioned that she had spoken with a couple of colleagues who mentioned that they were going to have to change things around during their classes. “Dr. [William] Gonzenbach [professor in the advertising and public relations department] and I spoke briefly about the weather-related closing, and we discussed how the Thursday closing caught us by surprise,” Bourne said. “He mentioned making a necessary change to the syllabus for one class.”
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Darkroom: A Memoir in Black and White
p.8 Abbey Crain | Editor culture@cw.ua.edu
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Kentuck opens T.E.M.P. Gallery with art exhibit By Grace Hagemann | Contributing Writer
CW | TK Scott Larry Bowen lives in an apartment in Harris Hall comprised of what used to be six dorm rooms.
Faculty reside among students By Reed O’Mara | Staff Reporter When Larry Bowen leaves his office in Osband Hall at the end of the day, it’s only a few steps away to his apartment in Harris Hall, traditionally known for housing students. Bowen is the associate director at the Center for Teaching and Learning, and is also the faculty-in-residence for Harris Hall, home to students of the Parker Adams freshman living-learning community, among others. Bowen is going on his 14th year as a faculty member living among students. Bowen’s apartment is comprised of what used to be six dorm rooms, now with a kitchen, what he calls a laundry closet, two bathrooms and two bedrooms. When the dorms were gutted and converted to his apartment, Bowen was able to pick paint colors and help with the design. “It’s a real apartment, but I don’t have an outside exit. So I have to enter and exit through just like the students do, and from the outside my door maybe looks a little bit nicer, but the students have no idea unless they come in what’s in there,” Bowen said. Bowen said the original Parker Adams building was more conducive to forming student-faculty relationships, but he has still maintained close connections with students since the move to Harris Hall. “I still get to know them really well. Sometimes we go out to lunch at Bryant as a treat, or like during the school being closed down we had a movie night in my apartment. We watched two movies ‘til about one in the morning,” Bowen said. From taking students to get their driver licenses renewed to taking them to the emergency room, Bowen has not only seen all the ins and outs of student life, but has also made connections that last. “Some of my best friends are people who were in that program and are now
living all over the country and have kids now, but I’ve really kept up with a lot of them – Facebook makes that really easy,” Bowen said. Bowen said his experiences have not been without incidents. He recalls a prank involving cryptic Latin messages on his white board. Others are more significant, such as trips to the Student Health Center and Druid City Hospital. “This is the first year in a long time that I haven’t ended up taking someone to the emergency room for some injury or sickness,” Bowen said. “One year I got a student who had an infection in his thumb. I said, ‘You’re going to the doctor; get in the car,’ [Later] the doctor said, ‘I wasn’t going to tell you this earlier, but if you’d waited another day you’d probably lost that finger.’ You know, students think they’re immortal.” Bowen said that though the convenience of living on campus, including close proximity to work and his own parking space, outweigh the negatives, there is a downside to living in a residence hall. “My day never ends. All my life flows together; even when I’m on vacation I’m so connected I feel like I never leave work,” he said. On the other side of campus, living in Paty Hall in a separate-entrance apartment, is Cole Altizer, one of three area coordinators, and his wife and their dog and cat. “I have to live on campus because I’m on call. I have not been out of the resident halls since 2007,” Altizer said, “But I also haven’t paid for housing since 2008. So that’s the kicker right there, starting out as an RA to whatever other titles I’ve had.” Altizer said he enjoyed his time in dorms because he loves working with students and because he has small conveniences like never having to pack a
lunch, but he does not foresee his housing situation being sustainable for his growing family. “Sometimes everyone experiences this, where you want to go in and go home and not have to say hello to anyone,” Altizer said. “Housing has been real good about this – I don’t live where I work. They make sure we’re not going home and seeing our RAs.” Altizer has had a few situations of his own since moving to Paty Hall, including breaches of privacy, usually caused by students’ interests in his pets. “I think the thing right now that’s interesting is that you can see in our windows because we keep them cracked because our cat likes to look out of them. So everyone comes up to the window to play with her,” Altizer said. “But what they don’t realize is that this is our home, and we’re sitting there having dinner and people are tapping on our window.” Bowen said he’s kept young by the freshmen, as they show him modern music and TV shows, like “The Walking Dead,” but he says he also plays a big role for them, as a “parent-away-from-parents” and one of the few faculty members they are probably not intimidated by. “They don’t really treat me differently. If someone they don’t know comes in, an adult, they kind of tone down their talk and everything, but when I’m around, they’ll say anything,” Bowen said. Bowen said the greatest impact has been getting insight into students’ world. Before he lived among them, he said he had no idea how little sleep students get at night. “When you’re out of school for awhile you forget what it’s like to be a freshman. Plus, I never lived on campus,” Bowen said. “I have more sympathy and empathy for students in my classes, and now I try to figure out what’s going on – before I thought they were just goofing off.”
After Kentuck’s main gallery on Main Avenue in downtown Northport closed in April, the art center was in need of a new space to display exhibits, and the Transitory Episodic Momentary Provisional gallery was born. The T.E.M.P. gallery, which was built at the beginning of this month, gives the art center needed space to host exhibits and shows. “Each month we will have a new exhibit with a new artist,” Holly Bells, Kentuck program manager, said. “Art night also happens the first Thursday of every month, which is when we will have the artist reception and opening.” To celebrate the opening of the new T.E.M.P. gallery, Kentuck will host an art night this Thursday, featuring the work of Enterprise, Ala., artist Ethan Sawyer. Sawyer’s
I’ve always been interested in language, and I think this is a fun way to play off that. — Ethan Sawyer
exhibit titled “Over the AM” plays on the homonyms “over” and “AM.” “The meaning of the title applies to a lot of the pieces in the show,” Sawyer said. “Words can have multiple interpretations, so say the word ‘over’ could mean across the duration of some time, or it could mean being over something like, ‘Man, I’m so over the morning,’ or ‘I’m so over that.’” Sawyer said the exhibit is about physically representing the different ways to interpret language through art. “I’ve always been inter-
PLAN TO GO WHAT: Kentuck Art Night WHEN: Thursday, 5-8 p.m. WHERE: Georgina Clarke Building
ested in language, and I think this is a fun way to play off that,” Sawyer said. “When you look at something that may actually have a completely different meaning to a different person.” “Over the AM” will also feature a display of multimedia artwork. “There is some metal work, some woodwork, some photography, some film audiovisual installation,” Sawyer said. “There are a lot of different materials and sources used.” Bells described the show as colorful and said she is looking forward to seeing the audience’s reaction. “There’s a lot of mixed media, and one could categorize him as a self-taught artist, which is impressive to look at his work,” Bells said. “I think he’s developed well.” While “Over the AM” is the featured exhibit at Thursday’s art night, there will be additional activities and artists present. “Art night will be the artist’s reception, and we will also have resident artists here, and their studios will be open,” Bells said. “We have a clay co-op, which will be open, as well as live music in the courtyard.” “Over the AM” is the first exhibit to be on display in the gallery and will be on display until Feb. 28. The T.E.M.P. gallery’s grand opening and art night on Thursday will begin with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 4:30 p.m.
Weekend Band SCENE
BARS
Jupiter Bar to host country music singer Granger Smith
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
RHYTHM & BREWS
Cooter Brown
Glen Templeton & The Mojo Trio
Anthony Orio
GREEN BAR
N/A
Blaire Duncan & The Lookers and Della Ray
N/A
JUPITER
DJ Competition
Granger Smith and Jason Mizelle
DMND Club
ROUNDERS
Soul Marinade
The Devines
Doctors and Lawyers
EGAN’S
N/A
N/A
Mylar Tylosaur and The Zaratans
The Good Love
N/A
THE COPPER TOP N/A
CW | Hannah Glenn By Kinsey Haynes | Contributing Writer Texas country music singer Granger Smith will make his first appearance in Tuscaloosa on Friday at The Jupiter Bar. This will be Smith’s first time visiting Tuscaloosa. “I love college football so much,” he said. “Anytime we go to a big college town, it’s a big deal. Add on the huge legacy and football tradition at Alabama, that makes it even bigger.” Smith, who is a 2002 Texas A&M graduate, will play in more than 10 different college towns, such as Lawrence, Kan.; Stillwater, Okla.; Nashville, Tenn.; Baton Rouge, La.; Oxford, Miss.; and College Station, Texas. “We don’t really set out to play college towns, but we end up booking them,” Smith said. “A lot of our fans are college-aged, and a lot of the college towns have venues that are the kind that we play. It’s kind of a coincidence, but I love it.” Last year, Smith released his ninth studio album to date, “Dirt Road Driveway.” It debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes Country Chart and No. 15 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart. It is also on iTunes’ Best Albums of the
2000s. The album also produced a No. 1 music video on CMT with the song “Miles and Mud Tires.” “This album has been a great one for me, the crew and the team. It’s one that’s gotten us to Tuscaloosa – I’ll put it that way. It’s gotten us a lot farther than we’ve ever gone,” Smith said. “Our touring has expanded throughout the nation because of it. I’m really grateful for the opportunity this album has brought me.” Aside from music and touring, Smith said he is involved in two different charity organizations: Drive Now, Text Later and The Boot Campaign. Smith said he decided to get involved with Drive Now, Text Later when he visited a town that recently lost two high school students to texting and driving. He said he knew then that he wanted to travel to different high schools and speak about the dangers of texting while driving. “I just wanted to talk about how easy it is to put the phone down and get where you’re going,” he said. “It actually saves lives.” Smith started an organization called The Boot Campaign to show his support for the United States’ armed forces.
Every year, he walks 100 miles from Austin to Ft. Hood, Texas, in combat boots to raise money for the organization. He said his support for troops has awarded him the opportunity to tour in Iraq and Kuwait multiple times. “It had a really big impact on me, seeing how hard they work,” he said. “These men and women are volunteering to sacrifice everything, so I can essentially come back and play music for a living. Where there is bad stuff happening, it was nice to put on a country music concert. It had everyone completely forget where we were. At that moment, everyone was back home, enjoying a country music concert. That really showed me the power of music.” If you have never heard of Granger Smith, maybe you have heard of his country-boy alter ego, Earl Dibbles, Jr. What started as a joke has turned into something that has gained Smith even more fans. Dibbles, Jr. has been acting as the encore performer at Smith’s shows and plays a collection of his own songs such as “The Country Boy Song” and its sequel, “Country Boy Love.” Granger Smith will play Friday at The Jupiter Bar. Doors open at 8 p.m., and the cover is $5.
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21st Annual Bal Masque raises funds for AIDS By Alexandra Ellsworth | Staff Reporter On Saturday evening, the Tuscaloosa community will don its boots and hats in attendance of Tuscaloosa’s 21st Bal Masque, or masked ball. The ball is part of a traditional Mardi Gras celebration and is put on every year by the Mystic Krewe of the Druids. Krewe co-captains Robby Johnson and Ray Taylor chose “Big Boots, Big Buckles” as the theme for this year. Attendants are encouraged to dress in the theme. Taylor said he chose this year’s western theme because he wanted it to be a fun night. “Last year, we had a very formal ball in honor of our 20th anniversary,” he said. “This year, I wanted to do something totally opposite from that and do something that would be more casual
Submitted The Mystic Krewe of the Druids hosts Bal Masque, a Mardi Gras celebration, to benefit West Alabama AIDs Outreach.
and just fun to start our third decade.” The ball will be held at the Bama Theatre on Saturday beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets are $40 for general admission and $60 for VIP tickets. VIP tickets include access to the Captain’s Party at 7 p.m. before the ball and the after-parties. Taylor said he is expecting another sold-out crowd of 750 people. The Bal Masque raises money for the West Alabama AIDs Outreach. Over the 21 years the Krewe has put on the ball, they have raised more than $350,000 for WAAO. This partnership between the Krewe and WAAO began at the Krewe’s inception. “We wanted to start something in Tuscaloosa for Mardi Gras,” Taylor said. “This was 1991 when we were first starting to see the effects of AIDS. We decided we needed to do something about it
and formed the Quilting Bee.” Billy Kirkpatrick, executive director of WAAO, said the Krewe has had a tremendous impact on WAAO. “We are incredibly blessed to have community members who spend so much time and money to hold a benefit on our behalf,” Kirkpatrick said. “They have raised an enormous amount of money in the past 20 years, and that money has been essential for us to continue providing the services we do.” Kirkpatrick said the money is used for client services and infrastructure costs at WAAO, where they serve 230 individuals living with HIV. Taylor said he hopes the day will come when they no longer need to raise money for AIDS. Ultimately, he said he hopes to see it cured. “I don’t want it to always be for the same
PLAN TO GO WHAT: Bal Masque WHEN: Saturday, 8 p.m. WHERE: Bama Theatre cause,” he said. “I want our work to lead to curing AIDS, and then we can work on raising money for hospice or cancer.” Taylor said he is excited about the night and hopes the community enjoys it as well. “It’s going to be a fun theme,” he said. “I want to thank the community for supporting us for all these years, and we are going to have a good night together this weekend.”
Conference aims to develop students’ leadership skills By Elayne Smith | Contributing Writer This Saturday marks the initiation of UA L.E.A.D.S., a daylong leadership conference for students with a variety of speakers and activities to discuss and develop leadership skills. Almost 200 students signed up for the event, which stands for Leadership, Education, Action and Diversity Summit. The event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Ferguson Center. Students pay $15 for breakfast, lunch and a T-shirt. There are still 10 spots open for the event. Kaitlin Hartley, the coordinator of leadership programs through Student Affairs, developed the idea for UA L.E.A.D.S. in August. The focus revolves around leadership development, social justice advocacy, diversity and educational fundamentals.
Submitted Submitted Drew Dudley Arthur Gregg “Everyone has a different definition of leadership, but for us here in the office, it is about developing critical skills that will serve you for the rest of your life and the competencies you need for the work place,” Hartley said. The conference will include two keynote speakers opening and closing the conference
with a potpourri of speakers in between. There are three breaks, and students choose to attend one of the five available sessions for that break. Jessie Ashton, a senior majoring in kinesiology, will speak about white privilege and diversity advocacy. Ashton said she hopes students will leave the conference with a new perspective. “Especially with a lot of what we’ve seen on campus this year, this campus has to move and grow with the rest of the world and the rest of the country. And if we aren’t developing new leadership potentials or leadership ideas, then we’re going to remain stagnant and ultimately irrelevant to the rest of the world,” Ashton said. “Through opportunities like this, we’re giving students a chance to really thrive and really understand what else is out there once they leave Tuscaloosa and Alabama.”
PLAN TO GO WHAT: UA L.E.A.D.S. WHEN: Feb 8, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. WHERE: Ferguson Center Andrew Goodliffe, assistant dean of the graduate school, will be talking about mentorship and how to succeed as a mentor as well as a mentee. “Our wish for our students is that they go off and be future CEOs of companies, future leaders in social justice, future leaders at universities, future leaders in communities,” Goodliffe said. “We’re training people to make a difference.”
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Thursday, February 6, 2013
UATD presents dynamic ‘Blood Wedding’ By Laura Testino | Contributing Writer The University of Alabama’s department of theatre and dance invites audiences to enjoy the illustration of some of life’s classic themes in its multifaceted production of “Blood Wedding,” written by Federico García Lorca in 1932. The play, originally written in Spanish and first performed in Madrid, unravels through a lens of Spanish culture while still expressing concepts in a universal manner. Director John Nara, a third-year master’s student, said he has long enjoyed the dramatic writings of Lorca and welcomed the opportunity to tackle the challenges the script posed. “There are numerous themes addressed by Lorca in this play. That’s what makes it such a rich experience, and it’s hard not to see the theme of fate versus choice in the cycle of life as one of the more prominent ones,” Nara said. “But it’s only one. As a director, it’s been a journey with the designers and the cast figuring out how to expose all of the themes and still tell a good story and hold the audience’s attention.” Keegan Butler, a senior majoring in theatre, aids in the portrayal of these themes as the lighting designer of the show. “[Lighting] is a different type of creativity. I enjoy being the one that tells the audience where to look some of the times,” he said. Butler said his designs are the product of extensive research, beginning with the script and proceeding by matching insightful moments and details in the script with particular colors to create a specific mood. “[‘Blood Wedding’] was really cool to look up, to do the research for this and see other productions … and use Lorca’s own paintings and drawings as inspiration, because they tie in so well with this show,” Butler said. Iliana Garcia, a sophomore majoring in musical theatre, plays the bride, one of the show’s female leads, for her first role in a UATD production. After spending weeks in the script and in rehearsals, she said she appreciates the moods the lights create. “There are multiple scenes that are very fantastical and very storybook-esque, and it requires this mood of mysticism. And the lights really help to accomplish that,” she said. After becoming heavily involved in musical theater in high school, Garcia said she realized she would be miserable doing anything else. Throughout the audition process, she hoped to have the opportunity to be cast as the bride, a layered character with whom she said she felt connected. “In musical theater, you encounter so many female leads that are just so happy and bubbly and
PLAN TO GO WHAT: “Blood Wedding” WHEN: Feb. 10-15, 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 16, 2 p.m. WHERE: Allen Bales Theatre may encounter a few problems in the plot, but this character is so affected by the landscape that she lives in and the people that she’s around,” Garcia said. In addition to the thought-provoking aspect of the role, Garcia said she has also enjoyed working with the costume department on the bride’s wedding gown, one of the two custom designs for the production. “[The costume department] is trying to relate to the audience as well as keeping accurate to the times … [The dress] is beautiful. They’re doing a great job costume-wise, and it’s a really cool process being able to be there during fittings. I love costuming. That’s something I would have done if I didn’t do musical theatre,” she said. Christina Johnson, a second year master’s student, is the costume designer for the show, and also works on designs for hair and makeup. Like the other members of cast and crew, she said she has combed through the script and looked for particular details that imply the clothing each character would wear. “In Spain, the bride would always wear a crown of orange blossoms to represent purity, so I took that and kind of rolled with it, and I’m trying to incorporate it in embroidery. I’ve incorporated Spanish lace throughout the play, and the biggest inspiration was that I took colors from the surrounding land, like the vineyards and the olive groves,” Johnson said. Johnson has worked in costuming for other UATD productions, including another show Nara directed. While she is not delivering lines on stage, she said she still feels attached to and excited about “Blood Wedding.” “[Nara] involves every member of his cast and crew in creating a production,” Johnson said. “And I think what I like most about that is that by the time it’s up and running, it belongs to all of us. So we have so much pride in it, and it’s worth every step of the way.” “Blood Wedding” will be performed in the Allen Bales Theatre from Feb. 10-15 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at the box office or online at ua.tix.com.
CW | Austin Bigoney “Blood Wedding” presents universal concepts through Spanish culture.
COLUMN | GAMING
‘Outlast’ provides dark, suspense-filled gaming experience
CULTUREIN BRIEF Improbable Fictions to perform The Improbable Fictions will present a stage reading of Shakespeare’s “Merchant of Venice” Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center. The event is free and sponsored by the Hudson Strode Program in Renaissance Studies and the UA department of English.
By Matthew Wilson The car drifts down the road in the dark. A large facility, Mount Massive Mental Asylum, looms in the distance, growing larger as the car approaches it. Going through the entrance, the gates lock behind you, leaving you trapped in the deserted courtyard. Armed with little more than a video camera with a short battery life, you plunge forward toward the asylum. It soon becomes apparent that things have taken a sinister turn. The bodies of the asylum’s staff litter the hallways, suggesting an unsettling demise, and the crazed inmates, now running free and rabid, have overthrown the asylum. You should leave and get help. A rational person would, but you press forward farther into the asylum. A dying SWAT officer greets you and warns you of the horrors within the asylum. He suggests with his dying breath that you should get out while you still can. Turning a corner, a hulking monstrosity charges to attack you. Grabbing you, he throws you through a window, and you fall downward, thinking you should have taken the officer’s advice. Welcome to “Outlast,” a first-person survival horror game by Red Barrels Games, in which players assume the role of Miles Upshur, a freelance journalist who finds himself trapped in an out-of-control asylum. Released last year for computers and coming out this week on Playstation Plus, “Outlast” instigates a frantic and heart-pounding experience through the trip exploring the asylum. Lacking a combat system, players have no option to fight off the horrors that surround them. Instead, the players must evade and hide from attacking inmates by using the environment to their advantage. Lockers dispersed throughout the game may offer temporary safety, but often enemies will search rooms, looking for players. The video camera, which has a night vision function, is theplayer’s only asset, but with a short battery life, players will have to search the environment for replacement batteries. Being able to see often means the difference between life and death, especially when being chased down dark hallways. Throughout the game, players are constantly hunted and pursued by Walker, a strong and powerful inmate intent on hunting his prey. Running through the dark hallways, the charging predator will give chase relentlessly. Hiding under the bed or in lockers won’t offer much refuge. Often Walker will smash open lockers or peek under beds in pursuit of his prey. “Outlast” is a mature game and isn’t for everyone. The game has many instances of both nudity and gore. Parts of it may be disturbing to some people, but if you’re looking for a dark, gritty, terrifying experience, then welcome to the asylum.
Scottsboro reception to be held Dan T. Carter, author of “Scottsboro: A Tragedy of the American South,” will speak Friday at 5 p.m. at the Paul R. Jones Gallery during the reception for the Scottsboro Boys photography exhibit. Art Night is the first Friday of every month from 5-7:30 p.m.
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Thursday, February 6, 2014
COLUMN | MUSIC
Festivals bring variety to every stage By Amy Marino
As many of you know, there have recently been quite a few exciting lineup releases for summer music festivals. Many music lovers might say they are thankful to live in an age where festivals are trendy and easy to come by, but is it almost to a fault? How are we expected to pick just one?
And why does every lineup release have to be so stinkin’ good? Realistically, because of busy schedules and lack of funds, we won’t able to attend every glorious music festival we’d like to this summer. Let’s face it, for the typical college student, summer is looking less and less like a break. Instead, it has evolved into a time for internships or jobs, a
If you want culture:
time for us to work toward an ultimate career goal (yikes). But hey, don’t get discouraged. The process of elimination has the ability to work wonders. If you only have enough money or time to attend one festival, why not make sure it’s the perfect one for you? Here’s a little categorization for a few of the already-released-lineup festivals.
If you’re going mostly for the music: New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, also known as Jazz Fest, has been an annual celebration of the Big Easy’s culture and music since 1970. Located in the historic Mid-City, the festival offers two weekends of live music, authentic food and crafts. With headliners like Eric Clapton, Arcade Fire, Phish, String Cheese Incident, Vampire Weekend and Bruce Springsteen, Jazz Fest is bound to be a musically unforgettable, culturally enriching experience.
Although this summer will only be the second year of Atlanta’s Shaky Knees Festival, with a lineup as solid as this year’s they have made it loud and clear they’re in for the long haul. Honestly, I don’t think I have ever been more impressed with and excited about a lineup. All you need to know is that Modest Mouse, Alabama Shakes, The National, Local Natives, Spoon, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, Cold War Kids, Violent Femmes, Iron & Wine, Jason Isbell, Lord Huron and Conor Oberst, as well as many incredibly talented up-and-coming artists like Houndmouth and Dawes, will be there.
Dates: April 25-27, May 1-4.
Wikimedia Commons
facebook.com/shakykneesfest
If you want the environment:
If you want it all:
Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival on Mulberry Mountain near Ozark, Ark., is quite the escape. With scenic views, hippies and plenty of space for camping, mountain biking or yoga, this festival could double as an outdoor vacation. Going strong since 2004, Wakarusa’s attendance has grown each year. A place of eccentrics and counterculture, Wakarusa will be an artistic experience. Headliners include STS9, The Flaming Lips, John Butler Trio and Umphrey’s McGee.
Hangout Music Festival, located in Gulf Shores, Ala., truly offers it all. At the first festival to ever be on a city beach, attendees have the privilege of enjoying each show with feet in the sand. Hangout Fest’s lineup appeals to many different listeners because of its wide variety of artists both big and small. Some artists include Outkast, The Killers, The Avett Brothers, Pretty Lights, Ingrid Michaelson, Jack Johnson, Wiz Khalifa and The Black Keys. Along with great music and the beach, the festival offers a huge, Instagram-worthy Ferris wheel, yummy food and plenty of places to just hang out.
Dates: June 5-8. Wikimedia Commons
Dates: May 9-11.
Wikimedia Commons
Dates: May 16-18.
COLUMN | TELEVISION
Guaranteed to be on, ‘Law and Order: SVU’ is the perfect show to binge-watch for hours Rotten Tomatoes By Hannah Widener
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In between Sarah McLachlan torturing millions of Americans sitting in their underwear eating Cheetos late at night and sexy singles hotline ads, I like to spend the majority of my evening watching “Law and Order: SVU.” Weekend parties and one too many all-nighters have resulted in my new favorite neurosis: insomnia. I’m not alone in this wonderful, refreshing sleep disorder that doesn’t allow me to get some much-needed shut eye until 3 a.m. Judging by the cracked-out glances I’ve been noticing at Rodgers Library, most of you aren’t sleeping till then either. Detective Benson has been helping sleep-deprived college students for the last 15 years. The show has aired more than 332 episodes and doesn’t appear to be stopping any time soon. In the third season, the highest-rated episode came in at 15.2 million viewers, and the show now only garners an average 7 million viewers each week. Mariska Hargitay won both a Golden Globe and an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her performance on the show. Currently tied at sixth place with “ER” for longest show running, “Law and Order: SVU” appears to be in this for the long haul. I’m a little late in the game to “Law and Order: SVU” bingeathons, but over vacation my sister showed me the art of “SVUing” the days away. No matter what time of day it is, you can always count on a network to be showing “Law and Order: SVU” marathons. So, that’s how I spent my winter vacation – just me, my sister and New York City’s finest 16th precinct. Now that I am hooked, I can’t stop watching, and there are enough episodes to last me every day for the next year. My days usually begin with blasting Pandora and dancing in my Spider–man underwear and end with my annual pilgrimage from the three-and-a-half hours at the gym. Needless to say, my day doesn’t stop till around
I like to spend the majority of my evening watching ‘Law and Order: SVU.’
midnight when I finally have time to lay down and relax. However, by then I’m so wound up from stress and the prospects of what tomorrow has in store I can’t even imagine going to sleep. Try as I may to wean back my bedtime hours, it just has not happened yet, and until it does, there is only one sound that always welcomes me home at the end of a long day. “Dum dum,” the two-tone beat that follows every scene in “Law and Order: SVU.” Only two notes and the audience can immediately identify which show they are watching. Those of you who are new to “SVU,” I encourage you to indulge yourselves in America’s favorite past-time since “I Love Lucy.” It’s not just the sleepless and hungover who enjoy this suspenseful show, but men and women of all ages who love to see crimes solved and justice served. And the greatest part about this show is that you don’t have to follow each season in order to know what is going on. So while you’re up late tonight working on that essay due at midnight or tossing and turning in bed trying to get a little shut eye, flip the channel to “Law and Order: SVU.” Believe me, it’s worth your time.
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Thursday, February 6, 2014
Zach Bland | Auburn Plainsman Auburn High School student Rashaan Evans announces his commitment to The University of Alabama in a press conference Wednesday, adding another 5-star recruit to the 2014 class.
SPORTSON THE SIDE Coaches dance for new recruits By Marc Torrence | Sports Editor The pursuit of hotshot 17- and 18-year-old athletes leads one to do things otherwise outside the realm of possibility. This recruiting cycle for Alabama saw coaches get their groove on, to almost embarrassing levels, at one point reaching an almost de facto dance-off for a 5-star’s signature. Alabama coach Nick Saban was seen in a now-deleted Vine doing the electric slide with his wife, Terry, and a house full of guests during an official visit last weekend. When asked if recruiting has changed in regards to breaking it down in order to please a teenager, Saban said Thursday, the only difference is the way it gets distributed to the masses. “We’ve been having that party forever – since I’ve been a head coach,� he said. “I’ve been doing the electric slide since I was probably 15. I’m just sorry they didn’t get me doing the wobble, too.� The sensation reached its peak last weekend, as Alabama and Auburn were vying for 5-star outside linebacker Rashaan Evans. Saturday, coaches were invited to attend Evans’ grandfather’s 80th birthday party. Auburn coach Gus Malzahn and Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart both saw this as an opportunity to impress Evans. So they took to the dance floor. “The live band started playing, and the Alabama and Auburn coaches hit the dance floor. It was unbelievable. I just couldn’t stop laughing,� AL.com reported Evans’ father said. “It was like it was a football game, but it was being played inside the hotel. Auburn took on Alabama, and have to say Auburn stood their ground, but Kirby Smart began to take over as the night went on. You would have thought he was at home in T-town.� Smart’s moves must have paid off. Evans shocked the country and announced his pledge to Alabama Wednesday afternoon.
Alabama’s 2014 recruiting class named top in nation FOOTBALL FROM PAGE 1
early on in the recruiting process and evaluated the players we thought fit in best for what we want to do. I think that we did a good job of going out and getting a lot of those players.� The gems of the class are Cameron Robinson and Da’Shawn Hand, the top offensive tackle and strongside defensive end in the country, respectively, according to the 247Sports Composite. The Crimson Tide also met a critical need, pulling in the top two cornerbacks in the country, Tony Brown and Birmingham’s Marlon Humphrey. And, of course, there was Evans, who caught a lot of people off guard with his decision to leave his hometown for its rival. “In my career, I don’t think I’ve ever been more stunned by a commitment than Rashaan Evans,� JC Shurburtt, a national recruiting expert for 247Sports, said. Top to bottom, though, what stands out about the class is both of the lines. On the defensive side, in addition to Hand, Alabama added three defensive tackles and two JUCO defensive ends, including D.J. Pettway, who was dismissed from the team in February 2013 in connection with an on-campus robbery. On offense, Alabama nabbed Robinson and four 4-star prospects who Shurburtt said could provide a foundation on the offensive line in the future. “Cam Robinson, one of the top
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players in Louisiana, top offensive tackle in the country, that’s a good guy to get. Dominick Jackson, the JUCO, one of the best JUCO tackles in the country, that’s a good guy to get,� Shurburtt said. “But then, they go up to Minnesota and Iowa and get two guys named Hassenauer and Pierschbacher, who are mean as dirt, who will just destroy you to come and play on the interior. Pierschbacher can play on the outside, too. “And then you’ve got an athletic guy like [Joshua] Casher who can play the center spot. And then the kid from Atlantic City, who’s 6 feet 3 inches, 360 lbs, who can move. It’s a versatile offensive line group that hits needs across the board. I’d be excited if I was an Alabama fan.� Saban, of course, was quick to dispel the greatest-class-of-all-time talk. If it was up to him, he said, recruiting classes wouldn’t be graded or ranked until three years after they arrive on campus. Still, it was difficult for the normally
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stoic Saban to hide his smile. “I think the challenge for all these young men that got recruited today, wherever they’re going,� Saban said, “is to be able to stay focused on what they need to do to improve as players and do the things that they need to do to become very effective college football players, and it is a challenge to go from high school to college.�
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Thursday, February 6, 2014
GYMNASTICS
NCAA gymnastics rivals face off in Tuscaloosa By Marc Torrence | Sports Editor It may not have quite the aura that it used to, but AlabamaGeorgia is still an NCAA gymnastics rivalry not to be scoffed at. The two teams have combined for 16 NCAA titles, including 10 of the last 16, and are two of just five teams that have ever won an NCAA gymnastics championship, with Florida joining that group in 2013. More than that, the Crimson
PLAN TO GO WHAT: No. 7 Alabama vs. No. 5 Georgia WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Coleman Coliseum Tide and the Bulldogs were considered models for successful gymnastics programs. No. 7 Alabama will host No. 5 Georgia at 7:30 p.m. in Coleman Coliseum on Friday.
“All you have to do is go back and look at the history of these two programs,� Alabama coach Sarah Patterson said. “I think a lot of the SEC and top gymnastics programs in the country, I think so many of them wanted what Georgia and Alabama had. They fill their arena at Georgia. We can fill our arena. “But that was in the early stages. Ten, 15 years ago. When you talk about 16 championships between two teams, there’s a lot of history and tra-
dition there. And now I see that there’s so many programs within even the SEC that want to have that same environment. And the sport has grown tremendously.� The rivalry sparked with Patterson and former Georgia coach Suzanne Yoculan at the helms of their respective teams. Yoculan and Patterson were responsible for all championships won by the two schools, as well as building up the interest around
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the programs. Yoculan retired after the 2009 season, and since then, Georgia hasn’t been the dominant force it was under her watch. Still, the meet means a lot to both teams. “They have a lot of history like we do, with their tradition and championships,� senior Sarah DeMeo said. “I know we’re both hungry to live that legacy. This CW | Austin Bigoney Friday, it’s going to be fun. They’re Diandra Milliner, a senior, a classy team. They’re fun to performs on the beam for UA gymnastics. compete against.�
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HOROSCOPES Today’s Birthday (02/06/14). Health and service provide context this year. Listen to emotions and intuition, with Mercury retrograde (today until 2/28). Plan, practice and prepare. March and April favor home improvements, while the solar eclipse (6/10) brings romantic change. Aim for balance, even with travels and adventures. Young people inspire playfulness. Follow your heart. It’s profitable. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Aries (March 21-April 19) -Today is an 8 -- For about three weeks with Mercury retrograde, talk and plan with associates. Clean up the place. Don’t take risks. Double check financial transactions. Review recent negotiations and decisions. Increase peace through meditation. Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is a 9 -- Review data to find a hidden truth. Misunderstandings are plentiful for the next three weeks. Ask questions, even if you’re nervous. Repeat what you said to be sure it gets through. Handle outstanding assignments. Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is a 6 -- For the next three weeks while Mercury’s retrograde, revisit creative ideas from the past. A temporary disruption could slow things... have a backup plan. Revisions are necessary. Take your act on the road (after double-checking reservations and roads). Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Today is a 7 -- For about three weeks, pay off bills. Don’t confront authority or get into legal disputes... it would just get complicated. Watch for technical difficulties. Tune your equipment. Keep decreasing your obligations. Share food and fun with friends. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Secure what you’ve achieved over the next several weeks. Continue to increase your authority, although possibilities to advance remain static for a while. Keep practicing, and raise your skills. Make plans, and check equipment for repairs. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -Today is an 8 -- For three weeks,
confusion is more common in groups. Travel can get disrupted or interrupted. Accept responsibility where due, and stay patient. Review documents and sign again as needed. Avoid overspending. Free up some time for peacefulness. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is a 7 -- For three weeks, you gain most through old contacts and familiar practices. The initial phase of a job is over. Fact and fantasy clash. Keep decreasing public obligations. Pad your schedule for unexpected circumstances, and take quiet time. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -Today is an 8 -- For about three weeks, hold onto what you have. Better safe than sorry. Avoid risks. Have people over instead of going out. Travel and transportation can get disrupted. Pay extra attention to a partner. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is a 9 -- Communicate carefully for the next three weeks. Save your insights for later... avoid misunderstandings. This retrograde period is good for organizing, sorting and filing. Clean your desk, and complete old projects. Service breakdowns could slow things. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is a 7 -- For about three weeks, revise and refine your procedures. Review your notes, to simplify. Dig into a research assignment. Double-check bank statements and financial transactions. Today and tomorrow, play and have fun (especially with family). Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is a 6 -- Review the data and practice over the next three weeks. Sign papers and contracts after that, if you can wait. Increase support structures. Handle home repairs, especially regarding plumbing. Travel could get tricky. Enjoy home comforts. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is a 7 -- For the next three weeks, renew old bonds. Review financial contracts and statements. Increase your savings with planning. Wait for a better time to take risk or make major decisions. Review the pros and cons thoroughly first.
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p.14 Marc Torrence | Editor sports@cw.ua.edu
Thursday, February 6, 2014
SOFTBALL
Hawkins, McCleney lead Tide from outfield By Kelly Ward | Staff Reporter Alabama softball coach Patrick Murphy’s outfield is full of young talent. “This is the youngest outfield I think we’ve ever had,” Murphy said. “Could be three sophomores, could be two sophomores and a freshman. It could be a junior and two sophomores.” The two players with the most experience in the outfield are sophomores Andrea Hawkins and Haylie McCleney. As freshmen, the two were bombarded when they came to Alabama after the softball team won the national championship. “It was a lot to take in when we first came in, because [we] came right in, and Murph was like, ‘Oh, we have this and then this and all the national championship stuff to do,’ and we’re like, ‘Woah, hold on.’ So it’s a lot better,” Hawkins said. The duo said this year feels different now that they have a year under their belts. “We’re not the little fishies anymore,” Hawkins said. McCleney will return to center field
PLAN TO GO WHAT: 2014 Troy Subway Invitational WHERE: Troy, Ala. WHEN: Friday, 2:30 p.m. RADIO: 95.3 FM CTSN for the 2014 season. In 2013, McCleney hit .465 and had 30 steals on 31 attempts. “I think she’s got the potential to be the best outfielder we’ve ever had – instincts, arm, range, speed, just total package,” Murphy said. As a freshman, McCleney also had 86 hits and 41 RBIs in 185 plate appearances. “She’s one of the hardest workers on the team, and I think you’re going to have a really good year when your most talented player is also one of your hardest workers, because then everybody’s looking at them to how hard they work,” Murphy said. McCleney and Hawkins played for the U.S. Junior National Team last summer. Both had at least 30 starts at Alabama. “We know what to expect, and we
can help the younger girls, too, that we have,” McCleney said. “We can kind of take them under our wing and make it easier on them, so it’s a lot more fun.” Hawkins started in 34 games and hit .384 in 99 at bats. She had 13 stolen bases on 15 attempts. “Hawkins has as much talent as anybody on the team – just needs to be consistent game in and game out – but she’s got the speed,” Murphy said. “She’s very similar to Haylie, short game, she’s got pop – she’s hit some of the longest home runs in practice. So I think a lot of people would be shocked with that, but when she connects, it goes. She’s got a lot of pop.” Both Hawkins and McCleney understand their roles in the outfield as players and as examples for the younger players. It doesn’t put too much pressure on them, McCleney said. “When it comes down to it, our job is to catch the ball, and, if it hits the ground, to get it in as quick as possible,” McCleney said. “It’s really what it boils down to. If we can do that, and if we can all like mesh together as a unit, communicate well, there’s really no problems.”
CW File Outfielder Haylie McCleney is credited as one of the most talented and hardest working players on the softball team.
COLUMN | OLYMPICS
Sochi Olympic Games sure to live up to expectations By Caroline Gazzara | Staff Reporter Whether you have been counting down days or are starting to get annoyed with the endless stream of Olympic commercials, have no fear because it all begins today. The Olympic Games will finally begin tonight in Sochi, Russia. I’ve been gearing up for this day for a while. I love the games and all they stand for. But in recent weeks, all I’ve heard about is the political tension and other issues Americans disagree with. From terrorist bombers to dog killings to getting locked in a hotel, I’m pretty sure we’ve heard all the negative things Russia didn’t want us to know.
That being said, it’s time to really focus on the games and not the other stuff buzzing around the media. Back in the day, the Olympics were held in Greece. City-states from across the country would come together to battle it out, but it was also meant to unify the country. Now countries around the world come together every four years to compete. They proudly walk out with their flag and represent their country to the best of their ability. What we can expect this year is a powerhouse of competitors. Each country wants to outdo the others. Between the United States, China and England, it will be an exciting couple
of weeks. The first contests will be held in the biathlon, cross country skiing, freestyle skiing, snowboarding and speed skating. After that, everything else starts up. Fan favorites include figure skating, snowboarding and skiing. Skier Lindsey Vonn, a previous Olympic medal winner, made headlines recently by choosing to sit out this year and fully recover from a knee injury. Snowboard idol Shaun White decided Wednesday not to compete in the slopestyle competition, citing his desire to focus on halfpipe. He also said the slope’s conditions weren’t ideal and could result in injuries. White is currently trying to become
the first American man to earn gold at three consecutive Winter Olympics. An athlete bowing out of the competitions isn’t something new. Every time the Olympics roll around – summer or winter – someone chooses not to compete, causing major speculation. Personally, I know it’s going to be an interesting Olympic Games. There’s so much hubbub about safety and living conditions that it’s hard to avoid any news about it. It’s very different than the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, which despite having an athlete pass away, didn’t have a huge, scandalous craze. If Russia dropped the ball this time, that’s not for me to say, but it will be an intriguing two weeks.
SPORTSIN BRIEF Alabama soccer signs 8 players Eight newcomers have signed national letters of intent to play soccer for the Crimson Tide this fall, Alabama coach Todd Bramble announced. The players are Maddy Anzelc, Lacey Clarida, Tayler Hartrampf, Molly Moroney, Alexis Mouton, Ally Ocon, Moira Petrie and Alex Price. Compiled by Matthew Wilson