WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 19, 2014 VOLUME 120 ISSUE 89 Serving The University of Alabama since 1894
CULTURE | STUDENT PROFILE
WALK of a CHAMPION UA student’s bluetick coonhound wins Best of Breed at dog show By Reed O’Mara | Staff Reporter Julep is not like all of the other dogs that roam the Quad with their owners when the weather warms for the first time in February. Julep is a Westminster Dog Show ribbon holder, and her owner Brenna Potash worked hard to get her there. The senior majoring in consumer science recently participated in the Westminster Dog Show in New York City and won Best uet etic ick ic k of Breed with Julep, a 2-and-half-year-old bluetick ut ut coonhound. Potash said her dog is anything b but just a show dog to her. “I tell people who say, ‘Oh, she’s just a w show dog,’ that, actually, [her being a] show d dog is the icing on the cake, per se. She would d be my pet first, my hunting dog second and yI then my show dog,” Potash said. “Saturday en took her out, and she treed a raccoon, not even er five days from winning at the Westminster Dog Show.” SEE WESTMINSTER PAGE 2
CW | Austin Bigoneyy Brenna Potash, a senior majoring in consumer science, balances a full course load and training her award-winning dog, Julep.
SPORTS | FOOTBALL
TODAYON CAMPUS Lunch with Bonner WHAT: Pulse Check luncheon WHEN: Noon WHERE: Ferguson Center
Shaw to help recruit, coach Tide High school player offered scholarship despite injury By Kevin Connell | Staff Reporter
Advising session WHAT: Arts and Sciences Express Honors Advising WHEN: 3 p.m. WHERE: 205 Gorgas Library
Campus performance WHAT: Ladies Night with Smile Empty Soul WHEN: 4 p.m. WHERE: Rhythm & Brews
Professional networking
Elisha Shaw is just like any other Alabama football recruit in the Nick Saban era. He’s big, he’s fast, and he’s one of the best players in the nation at his position. He’s committed, he’s excited, and he’s ready to get to work. He signed a scholarship to come to The University of Alabama on Feb. 5, National Signing Day, and has been told by the Crimson Tide coaching staff over the past few months that he will serve a role with the team right away. But Elisha Shaw will not play a down for Alabama. He won’t practice, he won’t dress out for games, and he won’t even be included on the roster. Elisha Shaw will never play football again.
WHAT: NSBE Networking Banquet WHEN: 5:30 p.m. WHERE: Hotel Capstone
SEE FOOTBALL PAGE 12
247Sports.com Shaw sustained a neck injury during the 2013 preseason that ended his playing career. The University of Alabama will honor his scholarship offer with a medical redshirt.
NEWS | CITY ZONING
Student recital WHAT: Daniel Western, saxophone WHEN: 6 p.m. WHERE: Moody Music Building
Community mixer
City rezoning to affect student housing Task force seeks to restrict growth of dense complexes By Samuel Yang | Staff Reporter
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Chance of T-storms 76º/44º
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Sports Puzzles Classifieds
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CW | Samuel Yang Linda Ford, member of the Student Rental Housing Task Force, lives in a student residential neighborhood with her husband on 7th Street.
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SEE REZONING PAGE 6
WEATHER
WHAT: Contemporary Ensemble WHEN: 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Moody Music Building
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Student concert
Linda Ford knows all the dogs in her neighborhood. She lives with her husband, University of Alabama clinical lecturer David Ford, in a historic house on 7th Street. Her neighborhood is, at times, home to feral cats, raccoons, the odd stray beaver, dogs and their owners – most of whom are students. When the Fords first moved to the house, they researched ordinances and
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WHAT: Downtown T-Town’s Jim N’ Nick’s and 2700 Capitol Park Launch Event WHEN: 6 p.m. WHERE: Jim N’ Nick’s, 21st Avenue
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CAMPUSBRIEFS
Wednesday February 19, 2014
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Golfer earns medal in Puerto Rico Alabama golfer Stephanie Meadow earned co-medalist honors at the 2014 Lady Puerto Rico Classic, shooting her second straight 4-under par on Tuesday. The Crimson Tide finished the tournament tied for sixth, shooting a 29-over-par 893 over the weekend.
SCENEON CAMPUS
Compiled by Marc Torrence
UADM registration open UA students can register to be a part of UADM’s dance marathon that will be held March 1 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Student Recreation Center. UADM is a student-run philanthropy organization that supports Children’s of Alabama through the Children’s Miracle Network. The year-long fundraising effort involves UA students and culminates in the dance marathon, where no sitting is allowed. For more information and to get involved, visit uadm.ua.edu.
University confirms apology The University confirmed Tuesday that Bama Students for Life will put their anti-abortion poster back up at the Ferguson Center this Thursday. BSFL had reserved a display case in the Ferguson Center from Jan. 8 through Feb. 7, but the display was taken down two days before the end of their reserved time slot. The display, which includes pictures of aborted fetuses and the body of a woman who died from an abortion, was taken down by UA staff after students complained about the graphic images. After the display was taken down, BSFL sent a letter to Carl Bacon, director of the Ferguson Center, requesting an apology and for the display to be returned. Bacon responded to the group via email on Monday to apologize and invite the group to fulfill their reserved time by reinstating the display. Cathy Andreen, director of media relations, said BSFL confirmed with the Ferguson Center that they will put the display up on Thursday in the display case between the Dean of Students office and SGA office to remain up for two days. Andreen said the University is still reviewing their policies regarding use of the display cases as a result of the controversy. Compiled by Mark Hammontree
P.O. Box 870170 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 Newsroom: 348-6144 | Fax: 348-8036 Advertising: 348-7845 Classifieds: 348-7355
CW | Lindsey Leonard Student Jessie O’Brien checks out a display in the Ferguson Center at the Study Abroad Fair Tuesday.
TODAY WHAT: Arts and Sciences Express Honors Advising WHEN: 3 p.m. WHERE: 205 Gorgas Library WHAT: Reading College Textbooks workshop WHEN: 4 p.m. WHERE: 230 Osband Hall
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THURSDAY
FRIDAY
WHAT: “Making of Continents: Lessons from the Cascade Mountains and Fiordland, New Zealand” WHEN: 2 p.m. WHERE: Rodgers Library, 1st floor
WHAT: International Coffee Hour WHEN: 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. WHERE: 121 B.B. Comer Hall
WHAT: Toast of the Tour and Silent Auction WHEN: 5:30 p.m. WHERE: V & W Supply, 712 20th Avenue WHAT: ‘The Problem of Free Will and Moral Responsibility’ WHEN: 7:30 p.m. WHERE: 205 Smith Hall
WHAT: Desperate Measures WHEN: 4 p.m. WHERE: Rhythm & Brews WHAT: Friday Night Magic: The Gathering WHEN: 6:30 p.m. WHERE: Crimson Castle Games WHAT: After Dark Party WHEN: 8 p.m. WHERE: Hive Bang Gaming
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Having her dog follow these three avenues can be a lot to juggle, though Potash noted that all dogs, whether Best in Show at Westminster or regular pets, are perfect. Misconceptions often form about show dogs, as people view them as either frivolous or fully trained and perfect specimens. “It’s hard to have a pure hunting dog as a show dog, because if you’re at an outside show, what’s the first thing they’re going to look for? Animals. Or they see a little dog, and they automatically think, ‘Furry animal. I’m supposed to chase it.’” Potash said. “[The same goes with] people at Westminster wearing fur coats.” Potashhas had a passion for dogs her entire life and she has been surrounded by them through out. She currently resides in a house with three dogs – Julep, Diesel and Maggie. Potash said she remembers being more fascinated as a kid with collars in the dog aisle at Target than with the toy aisle. Potash began competing in shows at the age of 11, more out of her own will than that of her parents. “It was more her determination,” Laura Potash, Brenna’s mother, said. “She said she wanted to ride horses, and I said, ‘If you fall off a dog, you can’t get hurt that
the Flickr slideshow featuring Brenna Potash and her dog Julep.
much. Especially a dachshund.’ Because that was the first breed that she showed.” By chance, a dachshund breeder the family had met contacted the Potash family about Brenna Potash getting a dachshund, and six months later, Brenna Potash entered her first show, taking the prize with her dog Domino. “She was just a natural. She has a real way with animals,” Laura Potash said. “It wasn’t something we spent a big journey looking for. It just kind of happened.” Her mother said it has been quite the journey. Since age 11, Brenna Potash has been competing against professionals and winning. “For Brenna, but for any kid who does this, it takes a lot of determination and work, because I didn’t do it,” Laura Potash said. “I didn’t groom her dog, wash it, show it and get it ready. You have to be a really strong kid, because it’s a different sport. In high school, other kids didn’t understand, and maybe they kind of made fun of her a little, a lot sometimes, but you know, it was something she wanted to do.” This misunderstanding of the sport has followed Brenna Potash to college, more in the
form of professors than fellow students, though she said many men have a hard time accepting a loss against her in raccoon hunting. While juggling training her dogs and taking them to shows, Brenna Potash also balances her school work and social life. “I have to make sure I get home every night to my dogs, because they’re my first priority,” Brenna Potash said. During her sophomore year, Brenna Potash had to give up going to Westminster because a teacher refused to cancel a test. “I’ve had teachers who weren’t supportive of me, that weren’t going to let me miss a class or make up a test. [Westminster] is the same dates every year, the same Monday and Tuesday every February. I cannot change that,” Brenna Potash said. Brenna Potash has recently found a support system within her major. While at Westminster, she was stranded due to bad weather, and she missed a test in her CSM201 class, taught by Courtney McGahey. “She is very hardworking. For lack of a better word, she has her stuff together,”
FRESH FOOD LUNCH
Cumin-Rubbed Pork Loin Buffalo Chicken Sandwich Collard Greens Baked Macaroni and Cheese said McGahey, an assistant professor and advisor for the consumer science major. “With what she’s doing, it’s like the Super Bowl for her, so there was no way I was going to say, ‘No, you can’t go. You have a test.’ In my mind, we all have so many things on our plate. So if our students work so hard for something like that, we need to help them out and find a way to make it happen.” The day of her showing at Westminster, Brenna Potash and her father arrived to the competition worried. She said the nerves did not dissipate for her until she held the ribbon in her hand. On Tuesday, Brenna Potash received a signed football and letter from Terry and Nick Saban congratulating her on the recent accomplishments. However, she said she remains uncertain whether Westminster will be on her plate again. She is working toward Julep becoming the first-ever hunting-titled dog that is an American Kennel Club conformation champion, or show champion within the AKC. She also has plans to enter her dog Diesel into shows soon. Either way, Brenna Potash said she has learned a lot through dog showing, including what her mother says is simply being true to herself and powering through struggles and setbacks. “A lot of things with life can be explained through a dog show,” Brenna Potash said. “A dog show is like a mini-life.”
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Mark Hammontree | Editor newsdesk@cw.ua.edu
Panel discusses definitions of black masculinities By Jason Frost | Contributing Writer Tuesday’s Black Masculinities panel dealt with the question “What do Nelson Mandela and Kanye West have in common?” The event was sponsored by the Women’s Resource Center and the department of gender and race studies in association with African-American History Month. “We wanted to have a really thoughtful discussion about gender during African-American History month,” Jessi Hitchins, assistant director of the WRC, said. “That includes both masculinity and femininity. That’s not a conversation that often happens in context of the intersection of both gender and race.” Hitchins, who planned the event with WRC Coordinator Eric Patterson, contacted four speakers with “scholarship and activism in the area of black masculinity” for the panel, including Brandon Davis, a graduate teaching assistant in the political science department who said he regularly dabbles in critical race theory and feminist theory, especially how it relates to the state. “The questions are good,” Davis said.
“They deal with black masculinity, both in relation to race and independent of it. I’m interested in talking about how that relates to pop culture, like music.” Davis was joined by George Daniels, assistant dean of the College of Communication and Information Sciences, Marcus Cotton, vice president of the Black Faculty and Staff Association, and Utz McKnight, chair of the department of gender and race studies. The discussion opened with a talk on the differences between masculinity in general and black masculinity. “In many ways, in our culture and society, men are expected to be somewhat successful. Black men are not assumed that and are even assumed to have a level of failure. Watching my son go through it, it’s amazing. Watching teachers reacting.” Cotton said. “My son has always been bright. He’s got two college-educated parents. The way he was explaining to us, teachers have a certain number of points they give you, then you have to take an IQ test to get into the gifted program. His teachers gave him so few points he didn’t qualify. He had to make it solely from his IQ test. He’s very well-read for a middle-schooler, but
now he’s trying to hide in the classroom because he does not feel the expectation to be successful.” Hitchins moderated the questions, bringing the discussion around to hit points on various topics, such as what masculinity is, how it relates to academia and its portrayal in the media. Students were given a short section at the end to ask their own questions. Daniels, who studies media messages, briefly hit on the definition of masculinity offered by one author he was reading. “Breadwinning, having strength and dominating women,” Daniels said. “That definition was offered. Black masculinity, in this author’s estimation, was a response to those three roles, but they were different because barriers were in place for African-Americans which try to be a man.” Another discussion, focusing on black femininity and society, will be held at the same time and place Tuesday. “Things are complicated.” Hitchins said. “We can’t see something as singular. We need to see things as nuanced, and complex, and contradictory. I think CW | Lindsey Leonard that’s a really powerful thing – to try to The WRC and the department of gender and race studies sponunderstand those nuances.” sors an event to discuss the intersection of gender and race.
Bipartisan campus event weighs in on state legislature By Andy McWhorter | Assistant News Editor University of Alabama students gathered in Lloyd Hall Tuesday evening to hear two policy groups discuss legislative issues facing the state. Both sides weighed in on where the state legislature should focus during the remainder of this year’s session. The Alabama Legislative Update was hosted by the Student Government Association and sponsored by UA College Democrats and UA College Republicans. The Alabama Policy Institute, representing the center-right, and Alabama Arise, representing the center-left, were both present. The Alabama Policy Group was represented by Cameron Smith, vice president and general counsel, while Alabama Arise was represented by Kimble Forrister, executive director. They were joined by Sam Gerard, president of College CW | Austin Bigoney Democrats and Caitlin Connors, president of College Cameron Smith addresses members of College Democrats and Col- Republicans. “This is maybe one of the first times in American history lege Republicans Tuesday about legislative issues facing the state.
where students really need to take notice of what’s going on in Washington and in Montgomery,” Smith said. One point of contention was the Alabama Accountability Act, which was passed last year and allows students zoned for chronically failing schools to receive a tax credit to attend a non-public school or another non-failing public school. “[The] Institute is supportive of the Alabama Accountability Act,” Smith said. “We don’t think that you should be relegated to a bad school based on your zip code.” “Those concepts of ‘your parents are going to drive you to a better school’ just aren’t really an option for the poorest kids in the poorest neighborhoods in Alabama,” Forrister said. “[In our poorest counties], you’d have to go across county lines, and how on earth are you going to get the transportation to go across county lines?” Both groups agreed that certain issues, like reforming Alabama’s constitution, need to be addressed. “This isn’t a game,” Smith said. “This isn’t a team sport. This isn’t us versus them. This is who shapes the future.”
p.4 John Brinkerhoff | Editor letters@cw.ua.edu
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
COLUMN | BSFL
Protect speech regardless of political views By John Speer | Senior Staff Columnist
dropped to 17 of the 55 counties, with Marengo County losing their Labor and Delivery unit at Bryan W. Whitfield Memorial Hospital this month. The issue isn’t always disease; it’s access. Our state is suffering from an absolute health education crisis, a complete lack of medical availability and an incredibly diverse set of preventative health epidemics never before seen in our time. With the Affordable Care Act on the horizon, the general maintenance of community health has never been more paramount to each individual citizen. That’s why organizations like Bama Covered, DIET and others are absolutely necessary at this moment, and that’s why we need more. The health disparity margin at this moment is like an emergency beacon, and I firmly believe the student body, the medical community and the administration of The University of Alabama should further respond to the distress call. There are tangible issues we can tackle. We should do our part to increase obstetric and prenatal care access in surrounding counties – whether it be with a mobile health operation or with an open, weekly prenatal clinic – and modify and provide education on nutrition and metabolic diseases. We can make a dent in these plaguing issues, and we can make access more universal. It’s our duty as community members, as representatives of this long-standing institution, as Alabamians and as Americans.
Although I’ve thrown my fair share of rocks at the tactics of certain groups on campus, I do not hide my hand, nor do I present my commentary as value neutral and objective. More often than not, there are not two sides to every question - there are several. The best method to generate meaningful dialogue involves stirring up the pot and provoking thought. However, we attend a University which e n c o u r ag e s and enforces interests John Speer which run counter to t h o u g h t - p r ovo k i n g conversations among its student body. The proud and refined University of Alabama does not invite discourse which disrupts the visions of a “safe” learning environment. Our university will not promote demonstrations that allow students to engage in critical and complex dialogue. “Safe” and “inoffensive” learning at our university translates to sanitized and non-threatening knowledge. Yet, I contend that knowledge never was, nor is, value neutral or non-threatening. The language we use to construct meaning, frame opinions and even surround images has power and history. To learn anything devoid of context is to learn nothing. Accordingly, I am not offended by the published images of the Bama Students for Life poster. I am not moved by the site of an aborted fetus, because I do not feel an abortion is an action of which a woman should be ashamed. Especially when I examine the complex and difficult knowledge surrounding the issue. BSFL disseminates these images to encourage shame, guilt and discrimination. They want women who choose to end a pregnancy to feel disgusted and inhuman. More importantly, they want us to view these women as inhuman criminals and to view ourselves as inhuman lest we impose our beliefs on others and end the right to choice. I reject their imposition and definitely reject the moral authority they have appropriated to themselves. Accordingly, their demonstrations do not bother me or disrupt the consumption of my sandwich. To some, this may sound cold, but I value the need to grapple with complex issues of greater importance than personal discomfort resulting from such thinking. Last year, when BSFL plastered campus with posters comparing abortion to genocide and the holocaust, I was disgusted and offended. Such claims devalue the experiences and warp the history and context of these events. However, then and now, I will defend their right to do so. I reserve the right to reject the misinformed demagogue, but I do not need to silence them. Perhaps we should consider why our university does. Forces of social conditioning at our university operate to maintain the status quo. We do not want students rallying around causes and engaging in open dialogue contrary to dominant interests. In order to recruit students, fund programs and project a stellar image, our university ably works to disrupt critical perspectives. We attend a predominantly white, Southern, Christian and wealthy university. Ideas perceived as radical are not part of the image we want to build as an institution. The interests that shape these groups also shape the values and practices of our school. More importantly, these interests often oppose groups who think with complexity. Although anti-abortion stances in no way run counter to the interests of the majority in this state, such tactics cannot be tolerated at our university, because then our institution fosters activism. Now, I personally do not believe BSFL engages in complex thinking, but to deny voice to even the most outrageous and irritating groups is to reject the very foundations and purpose of education. We should not attend this institution to learn an isolated set of neutral facts and skills which will ensure a spot in the marketplace. We should attend this institution to learn to see ourselves as part of this world and our place within it. We should learn to examine our identities, our culture and our systems to learn how we can create a just and nuanced society dedicated to creating a better world for our successors. I view a campus in which students rally and protest, interrogate and challenge assumptions as a sure sign that students are thinking and willing to act on what they learn. We should not fear noise. Silence is much more grotesque.
Maxton Thoman is a sophomore majoring in biology. His column runs weekly.
John Speer is a graduate student in secondary education. His column runs weekly.
CW | Kasey Jowers
COLUMN | DINING
Let’s get more off-campus Dining Dollar options By Erynn Williams | Staff Columnist It’s a Wednesday night, you’re sitting in your room starved, and you’re all out of meal plan swipes. Do you order Domino’s for the sixth time this month? Do you go to Buffalo Phil’s for the second week in a row? Well, if your answer was no to the past two questions, then my next question to you is this: What will you do? As students, we have few opportunities for dining. We can spend the $500+ a semester for a meal plan, or we can decline to apply for a meal plan and simply grocery shop and prepare our own meals. However, regardless of the choice we make, we, as full-time students, are charged an additional $300 on our student bill each semester for Dining Dollars. Dining Dollars can be used at various locations, including Java City in Gorgas Library, the food court within the Ferg, Subway locations on campus, Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, the Rec, Julia’s in Tutwiler, Stewart’s Corner in Lloyd, the Hub and the Pod in the SEC. While these sound like a lot of options, here’s the catch: All of these locations
H However, regardless of the choice we make, we, as full-time students, are charged an additional $300 on our student bill each semester for Dining Dollars.
are on campus and close pretty early compared to the schedule of many college students’ lives. So, what if a student can’t make it to one of these places or if the location is closed? There’s always Domino’s and B-Phil’s right? While these are great off-campus options for quick, alreadyprepared food, it would be nice to have a little more variety. Now, admittedly, I do not have a clue how exactly this sort of thing works, and I’m sure it’s not as simple as writing a nicely worded letter to the local Panda Express (wink, wink), but it couldn’t hurt to try adding a few more
off-campus locations where Dining Dollars can be used. If anything, this could help generate more business for local restaurants. Students are more likely to eat where the food is either affordable or really good. In other words, students will likely go to a place that accepts Dining Dollars before spending their own money. If more restaurants were added to the options of Dining Dollaraccepting locations, this would also be good for their business. Students would be enticed to try the restaurant because they do not have to spend additional money, and in the event that students actually like the restaurant, the student may even bring in more money by inviting friends. Let’s face it: Eventually, we are all bound to run out of Dining Dollars, and when that time comes, we will have no choice but to spend our own money. Seems to me like a great reason for businesses to hop on board with Dining Dollars. Erynn Williams is a sophomore majoring in dance and international studies. Her column runs bi-weekly.
COLUMN | HEALTH CARE
Alabama faces a crisis of health care access By Maxton Thoman | Senior Staff Columnist Believe it or not, there is a republic where obesity alone leads to the spending of $147 billion annually. The land of the free and the home of the large, where the proportion of obese citizens hovers around 35 percent. An expanse of amber waves of grain, where we eat too many carbohydrates, causing epidemics that have raged in the limelight, seemingly without opposition. Welcome to a nation where, in rural and impoverished areas, the obesity and diabetes epidemics surge at an even higher degree – comprising about 40 percent of adults – and where, sadly, impoverished communities that fall into this category are often plagued by socioeconomic and political barriers, complicating the task of maintaining community health. Welcome to our “Free and Reduced Lunch Nation.” Welcome to the United States of America. It’s sometimes hard to believe, but luckily for us, there is no better sample population than that of this great state. The fact is, the state of Alabama, and particularly its rural Black Belt, is a hotbed for preventable disease of all kinds, and, honestly, it doesn’t seem to be getting any better. No longer does this great state face obvious and nationwide issues with diabetes and obesity, but rather, these problems seem to pale in comparison to the infant mortality and prenatal troubles plaguing the state, not to mention our absolute lack of obstetric services in rural counties. Here’s a quick run-down. Alabama is now maintaining the second highest death rate for children
Maxton Thoman under 20 years old in the United States, and between 2010 and 2012, infant mortality was at a rate of 8.6 deaths per 1,000 births across Alabama, roughly double the national average. That, coupled with the fact that 11 of the 18 historical Black Belt counties are now maintaining double-digit rates, paints an incredible picture about the absolute lack of availability of prenatal care in rural Alabama, an idea that can be further witnessed just by looking at the adequacy of prenatal care utilization index. In 2005, the average percentage of women receiving inadequate prenatal care in the Alabama Black Belt stood at 20.93 percent, with 15 of the 18 Black Belt counties falling above the average 11.3 percent mark in this category. Meanwhile, in Greene County alone, 31.4 percent of women are receiving inadequate prenatal care. But where does this problem stem from? Easy. In 1980, 46 of the 55 counties in Alabama currently considered to be rural had hospitals providing obstetrical services. Today, that figure has
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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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Last Week’s Poll: What is your favorite locally brewed beer? (I don’t drink beer: 34%) (Black Warrior Brewing Company: 26%) (Druid City Brewing Company: 26%) (None of the above: 14%) This Week’s Poll: Do you believe the University should have removed the Bama Students for Life poster from the Ferg? cw.ua.edu/poll
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Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Object X event tackles perspectives of dollar By Josh Sigler | Contributing Writer
CW | Lindsey Leonard Creative Campus hosts an event to discuss the meaning of a dollar.
Creative Campus continued their Object X series with the topic “What is a dollar?” Tuesday. Seven speakers met in ten Hoor Hall to discuss the idea of what a dollar meant to them from their individual perspectives. Joey Weed, a sophomore and intern at Creative Campus, said he believed the event would be a great way to bring the campus together. “The University can be very segmented and divided, and we just thought that this series would be a good way to create an interdisciplinary discussion,” Weed said. The first speaker of the event was Phillip Weaver, owner of Buffalo Phil’s, Gallette’s and The Campus Party Store. Weaver explained how hard it was starting a business and how much it took to get where he is today. “To me, at that time, the dollar meant survival,” Weaver said. Weaver encouraged students to persevere in their business plans, be patient, save money and be willing to make sacrifices. The second speaker was Chip Cooper, an Honors College artist-in-residence. He shared about his experiences in Cuba, where he discovered that there is a dual econo-
my system with dollars and pesos, which creates an enormous wealth disparity and false notions about the American dream. Hannah Rath, former president of Project Health, was the third speaker and discussed the dollar’s impact in relation to food. “A dollar to me as a health major is simply something I exchange for food,” Rath said. Rath went on to explain the differences in nutritional values of foods that could be purchased for a dollar. She warned not to believe everything organic is completely healthy. “Some organic food can be good for you, but sometimes it just comes in a cool-looking package,” Rath explained. Eric Marable, a junior majoring in theatre, performed a poem about human lives valued in dollar amounts. The poem argued that working in the corporate world can reduce people to a monetary value and urged the audience to remember their childhood, a time when they were worth more than money. Lauren Lock, a senior majoring in history, urged the audience to think less about doing work for money and more about figuring out what occupation makes you happy. She argued that people often believe they need to act a certain way because society tells them to, even though, in reality, the important
people in their lives would still value them. “My parents love me no matter what,” Lock said. “If I end up working at McDonald’s, they’d just be happy to be getting free cheeseburgers.” Craig Wedderspoon, an associate professor of art and sculpture, was the sixth speaker at Object X and broke down the specific costs of a sculpture display he and his team created. The individual costs of the project ended up amounting to more than $38,000 in total. Wedderspoon argued that one should not let money be something to hold one back from his or her passions. The final speaker of the night, Kristen Warner, an assistant professor of telecommunication and film, used the film “12 Years a Slave” to explain the manner in which Hollywood trades in other currencies besides money, including favors, star power and established source material. Following Warner, the speakers held a panel discussion. In response to a concern about using money to motivate people, Wedderspoon said it is sometimes necessary. “What I do is nasty, hard and dirty, but this generation doesn’t usually want any part of that. Money is the only way to motivate them,” Wedderspoon said.
Physics meet brings high school students to campus By Heather Buchanan | Contributing Writer High school students were invited from around the state, as well as Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee to compete in The University of Alabama’s annual physics competition Tuesday. The University hosted between 160 and 170 students for two events in the competition. The physics competition featured two tests. The first was taken individually by each participant and featured 32 problems from high school physics. The second test is a relay-style team event. Bill Keel, physics professor and organizer of the competition, said the second test created an exciting atmosphere. “Something that attracts a lot of attention is the team competition, which sometimes gets called ciphering, where there are teams of four people who will solve problems relay-style,” Keel said. “There’s a lot of excitement because, mostly thanks to Google Docs, there is a big projected leaderboard so they can see which teams are ranked how, just on the fly.” The day was rounded out with a physics department open house and a lecture called “Cosmic Messengers”
by Patrick Toale, assistant professor of physics and astronomy. Toale spoke about fundamental particles called neutrinos and IceCube, a neutrino detector at the Amundsen-Scott research station in Antarctica. Dawn Williams, an associate professor of physics and astronomy, has been working on this project since 2004. She said the sun gives off neutrinos during nuclear fusion, which is how it gets its energy. “When we detect neutrinos from the sun, which has been done for decades, we’re learning about the center of the sun,” Williams said. “And that is the only particle which reaches us from the center of the sun without being absorbed or deflected or otherwise affected on its path.” Discussing neutrinos was one way to get students interested in studying physics, one of the goals of the meet. While Tuesday’s event did bring a lot of potential applicants to campus, Keel said recruitment was not the main purpose of the meet. “The whole point of this, we’ve decided, is not quite so much recruiting, as such, but more broadly raising interest in physics and the profile of the field in high schools,” Keel said.
CW | Lindsey Leonard High school students from Ranburne High School in Ranburne, Ala., were runners-up in the annual physics competition Tuesday.
Task force presents draft of potential SGA election reform By Mark Hammontree | News Editor The Faculty Senate Task Force for Excellence in Equity, Inclusion and Citizenship presented an initial draft report to the full Faculty Senate at their meeting Tuesday. Proposals in the report dealt with the upcoming Student Government Association Elections and contained 12 policies and revisions the task force plans to present to the administration and the Elections Board. According to the draft report handed out to senators, the task force agreed on several areas of reform for elections and campaigns for the SGA elections, including recommendations to add language prohibiting coercion, threats and bribery, as well as language highlighting students’ rights to keep their votes private. “In response to the Faculty Senate Steering Committee’s desire to affect the Spring 2014 Student Government Association elections, the TEEIC focused its initial efforts on discovering potential areas for election reform,” the draft report stated. “To fulfill this request, the TEEIC has worked closely with numerous groups and officials in an effort that would be characterized as cooperative, progressive and motivated by a genuine desire to develop a model system for student government elections.” Norman Baldwin, head of the task force, introduced the other members of the committee, after which the members addressed questions posed from the senators. “These guys have met every single week since they were formed,” Steve Miller, faculty senate president, said of the task force. While the consensus of the Senate was in full support of the task force’s proposal, some senators did raise certain questions about the lack of any proposal regarding enforcement and policing in any of the proposed policies. Baldwin said the task force discussed the enforcement question at length, but ultimately decided they would not propose any new policing or regulatory bodies outside of the Office of Student Conduct. “We did talk about all that,” Baldwin said. “We decided that we will put our faith in the Office of Student Conduct in its discretion at handling those penalties.” The draft report included a proposed addition of a section on every election ballot that would include a statement of the voting rights of students and the Capstone Creed, both of which a student would have to acknowledge that they had read before cast-
WHAT TO KNOW • The Task Force issued the first draft of their report addressing student elections reform. • Carl Pinkert, VP for research, presented his plans and goals for increasing research productivity at UA. • The Faculty Senate passed a resolution to request departmental faculty involvement in the designation of emeritus. ing their vote. Other proposals in the report included raising minimum financial penalties for election code violations to begin at $50, clarifying the rules regarding campaigning in and on residence halls to include Mallet Assembly, Greek houses and on-campus apartments. At the request of Miller, the task force will revise the language in certain parts of the report before proposing it to the administration and the Elections Board. “The Elections Board is already at least 80 percent on board with what we’ve got in here,” Baldwin said. After the task force had presented their report, the senators also heard from the vice president for research, Carl Pinkert, who informed the senators about the various initiatives and areas his office is working on to improve the University’s standing as a research university. Pinkert said his office is working with each department to improve the efficiency of grant submission and award management at the University. The Senate also passed a resolution requesting that department faculty be involved in the decision-making process of establishing emeritus faculty. “Be it resolved, the Faculty Senate requests that department faculty be included formally in the process to develop recommendations for emeritus faculty status for presentation to the Board of Trustees,” the resolution read. “The Faculty Senate also requests that a University policy for developing recommendations for emeritus faculty status for presentation to the Board of Trustees be developed.” The task force will hold its first open meeting in March, where they will allow attendees an opportunity to ask questions and give feedback to their proposals.
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Photo Courtesy of Shannon Auvil
Photo Courtesy of Harish Rao
Photo Courtesy of Shannon Auvil Photos Courtesy of UA Center for Ethics & Social Responsibility
University of Alabama graduate students work in local Tuscaloosa schools to teach students creative writing.
Program teaches creative writing in local schools
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demographics for the house. The woman who never thought she would live this close to campus, whose son was astonished by his parents’ new housing choice, can now see Bryant-Denny Stadium from her front porch. The house, she said, would be ideal for students, which makes it unsurprising that she is surrounded by students on every side. “I have students on both sides of me, across the street and behind me,” she said. In fact, Ford said the students living around her are great and respectful neighbors. The only neighbors she was ever glad to see leave were not students, and the yard across the street from her, now under the care of students, looks better than ever. “They edge their walkway,” she said. “How many college students edge their walkway?” Ford’s children are grown, but she lives in a neighborhood popular with students and shops at the Publix on The Strip. She serves on the Zoning Board of Adjustment and was tapped to join the Student Rental Housing Task Force, a 19-person team composed of members representing diverse parts and professions of Tuscaloosa. She was elected the task force’s vice chairman. The task force ultimately produced nine recommendations meant to curb apartment complex construction. Three of those recommendations were unanimously adopted by the City Council on Feb. 13. “I have no problem with student housing, and I think there needs to be student housing, but when I got on this committee, I didn’t have an opinion at all,” she said. That changed once she started to tour developments, reading reports like the one produced by Alabama Center for Real Estate and attending meetings with people like UA president Judy Bonner and Tuscaloosa Police Chief Steve Anderson. “Something had to happen, just looking at the statistics,” she said. “I was hoping that most people that followed
“There is a lot of evidence that shows that these skills are things that will carry on for the rest of their life,” she said. “It enables our society to grow and expand in ways that we may not have possibly thought about.” Sally Rodgers, WITS director of curriculum and media, helps the elementary schools in the program. Her job includes creating a curriculum database for teachers. She said, for younger students, creative thinking can often be taught through play. “That means through activities that they’re directing, not through activities that the teacher is directing and showing them how to do,” she said. “I think that children who are younger encounter language in a different way, too. They’re still making up the rules as they go so they’re willing to take more risks. It can be sort of liberating of them, too. When they’re given new tools, they really run with it.” Collaborating with young students, like writing a story that they dictate, can be exciting for kids, she said. But she said it also fills a gap that is created when schools only champion five-paragraph essays and cover letters. “Creativity is a way of thinking. It’s not just arts. It affects your entire life,” Rodgers said. “If you can learn how to think creatively, it’ll have a positive effect on everything else you’re learning. We see it as important to the very foundations of education.”
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what we did month after month understood it wasn’t just a meeting every other week.” Ford points to a disparity between recruitment figures and available housing, as well as the negative effects of highdensity living, which is now restricted by a new zoning amendment prohibiting more than three unrelated people from sharing living space in an MX-5 (mixed-use) zone. “When you sit down and read [ACRE’s study] and what they project for the future, and then you look at other communities and other universities that have had a similar situation, you realize it’s almost a no-brainer that we really needed to curb this student housing development,” she said. The two other amendments adopted will ban apartmentonly buildings in mixed-use zones and stop developers from reducing off-street parking requirements. Philip O’Leary, deputy director of the City of Tuscaloosa Planning and Development Services, said properties intended to house more than three occupants are usually targeted at students. The task force, he said, was created to investigate whether Tuscaloosa was “overbuilt with student-specific housing.” “The task force interviewed many experts from the field and ultimately determined that the city didn’t need to rezone any further properties for student housing,” he said. “Construction of apartments can continue on any property currently zoned for it. [There will] just be no rezonings until an updated comprehensive plan is adopted.” Some larger housing complexes have experienced increased crime issues, he said and exhibited low occupancy numbers. Those are concerns shared by Planning and Zoning Commission vicechairman Steven Rumsey. Like Ford, Rumsey is concerned about numbers that indicate growth in enrollment is unsustainable, especially when lined up against growth in available housing. National population trends indicate the number of graduating seniors is at a peak, he said. “From 2015 on, it’s going to be increasingly … difficult to … recruit large number of
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Last semester, WITS placed four UA student writers into about five or six classrooms at three schools a few times. This semester, the program works with 23 writers in 10 schools every other week, with three more schools in talks for a program of their own. “It allows students to expand their minds and use their imaginations in ways that traditional writing assignments do not,” she said. “I think it increases the value of their learning.” Busby said she thinks teachers at other schools at many levels could definitely replicate the program, but she and Kruse both agree that there is value to having UA students come in and teach the course. “It adds that something special to the experience overall,” Busby said. Maryella Matthews, a women’s studies graduate student, has been working with an eighth-grade class at Rock Quarry Middle School in language arts. She said the activities she and the teacher design intentionally provide both parameters and flexibility. “Oftentimes, students think there is one correct answer, so they have a tendency to kind of over-analyze the exercise,” she said. “At times they will try to … ask for a correct answer, but when they’re developing their own creativity, there’s really no wrong way to do it.” Matthews said the promotion of creative thinking skills impacts both the individual and the community.
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Students in local schools are familiar with test preparation and critical thinking, but as of this year they may also be familiar with a University of Alabama graduate student who regularly comes into their classroom to promote creative learning as a part of the UA Writers in the Schools program. Kenny Kruse, director of WITS, said the program came from a panel discussion about community outreach. The UA creative writing program was already hosting a creative writing club for local high school students, but Kruse said WITS wanted to move beyond self-selected students. “We wanted to go into classrooms and reach everyone,” he said. The program is two-fold, intended both to connect graduate students – many of whom Kruse said are out-of-state students – to their community, as well as to expose students and teachers to creative thinking skills and education that can get squeezed out of a system focused on test scores. “A lot of kids don’t believe that what they have to say is valuable. Art is a place where there is no right answer. Any kid can write an awesome poem,” he said. “If creativity isn’t cultivated, people will accept the world as it is and not see alternative ways of doing things.” The danger is not just that students might
only be pushed to perform better on tests, Kruse said, but that students might only care about performing better on tests. In doing so, he said, they could miss out on life skills that would also be important in college preparation and job hunts. “I think being able to think for yourself really is what creative education is about,” he said. “Being able to think for yourself, being able to stand for what you believe in outside of what other people pressure you to think – I think those are really valuable skills no matter what field you’re going into.” Kruse said many of the teachers they work with were already promoting creativity in the classroom. In fact, he said Tuscaloosa City Schools felt WITS supported their curriculum standards and were 100 percent on board. Trina Busby, a teacher at Northridge High School in the city school system, said she finds it important to try and work creative assignments into her teaching, but the curricula of the AP English Language and Literature courses she teaches do not focus on creative writing. “Creative thinking helps them look at writing in new ways and, for many, expands their writing beyond expository or persuasive, which is all they have ever written,” she said. “They love being in control of what they’re creating and don’t see it as work. They think it is fun, and that’s always a good thing.”
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By Samuel Yang | Staff Reporter
CW | Belle Newby students to The University of Alabama, just by a numbers game,” Rumsey said. “Therefore, the task force was given the job of determining whether this trend of development could perhaps end up allowing the city itself to become a victim of its own policies as it relates to development.” Rumsey said mixed-use zones arose after the tornado and have been exciting for some areas. In others, he said, unforeseen factors have to be carefully considered. “After the tornado, we created MX zonings, [or] multiuse zonings, which encouraged retail, commercial, office and residential [spaces] to work together,” he said. “And it was exciting. It’s certainly exciting to see those things work in harmony together [downtown].” Another concerning trend for Rumsey is the popularity of “mega-complexes” that house 500 or even 700 students. “For the most part, a big complex in my lifetime here has been 200 units,” he said. “Overnight, there was a paradigm shift in the scale of projects.” Those high-density residences will become problematic if students stop filling them because they will not be as attractive to families, young professionals or retirees. “The concern of the city is, if that complex spirals down for some reason, and it is no longer appealing to stu-
dents, and they have 4 or 5 bedroom units in them, what doors does that open up, and are they positive?” he said. “The answer to that was [an] overwhelming no.” Even now, Rumsey said, developers are finding it increasingly difficult to reach their target audience. “This is not something that came up last week,” he said. “We don’t want to create an urban blight around our campus.” He said he is especially concerned, because the failure of a development no longer means a developer feels the hit. Surrounding neighborhoods experience the effects of an ailing apartment complex, and Rumsey, who has lived in Tuscaloosa for more than 50 years, said he wants to keep his hometown safe and secure. Ford, who has lived in 20 houses in six states, said she feels similarly for the home she loves (even though the windows are single pane, so electricity costs are “astronomical”). On the other hand, a 200-unit complex – large, according to the standard developed by the task force – near the historic district where she lives would cause a change for the families that live there. Concerns about green space and parking availability are what make her wary of the large complexes. “If you drive down the street [where I live] and you look at
these students, look at their yards, look at their cars, look at the greenery – when they live in a neighborhood or they live in a smaller unit, they take more pride in how they live,” she said. The Student Housing Task Force, she said, wasn’t about building her resume. It is love of home, too, that drives Ford. “I don’t think anyone on that
committee did it haphazardly. I didn’t get on that committee to hope to find a job or make anybody look good,” she said. “It was that I care so much about where I live and want it to continue to get better and improve. It’s just hard to know what is the best thing. It’s hard to realize what an impact some things can make in your community.”
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Wednesday, February 19, 2014
COLUMN | FILM
COLUMN | MUSIC
Wikimedia Commons Actor Charlie Chaplin was well known for his roles both on and off the big screen.
Transition from actor to director results in higher-quality films
MCT Campus The Beatles shot to fame 50 years ago with their performance on The Ed Sullivan Show.
By Drew Pendleton In every movie, there are two major parties – the actors who bring the film to life and the director who brings everything full circle. Recently, however, there has been a growing trend of actors pulling double duty as star and director, and more often than not the results have been pretty stellar. This trend has been around since the early days of cinema. Icons such as Charlie Chaplin, Laurence Olivier and Orson Welles gave their all both on and off screen, and the results are commonly heard among the ranks of all-time greats. Several of films considered the best of all time – including Chaplin’s “City Lights” and Welles’ “Citizen Kane” – had their lead actors in the director’s chair and the experience they had shows. From Welles’ dramas to the comedies of Mel Brooks (“The Producers,” “Young Frankenstein”), from the musicals of Gene Kelly (“Singin’ in the Rain,” “On the Town”) to the Monty Python duo of Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones, several classics have come from the actors who brought them to life on the big screen. Later in the 20th century, two actors-turned-directors still working today began their rise to stardom: Woody Allen and Clint Eastwood. Allen’s “Annie Hall” – which he co-wrote, directed and played the male lead – is regarded by many to be one of the best comedies ever made, while Eastwood’s early directing career brought iconic Westerns such as “High Plains Drifter” and “The Outlaw Josey Wales.” Both men are still active today and have garnered their fair share of awards. Allen has four Oscars, including a directing Oscar for “Annie Hall” and most recently an Original Screenplay win for “Midnight in Paris,” while Eastwood has two directing Oscars for “Unforgiven” and “Million Dollar Baby” and acclaimed dramas “Invictus” and “Mystic River” also among his directorial efforts. In recent years, big-name stars have made their debuts behind the camera with great success. Ben Affleck made the kidnapping drama “Gone Baby Gone” in 2007 and has since delivered tense thrillers “The Town” and the 2012 Best Picture winner, “Argo.” Although his latest, “The Monuments Men,” has received a lukewarm reception critically and commercially, George Clooney has a Best Director Oscar nomination for the newsroom drama “Good Night, and Good Luck” and united a stellar ensemble in the 2011 political thriller “The Ides of March.” Actors such as Drew Barrymore, Jodie Foster, Ron Howard and Mel Gibson have taken to directing as their acting careers begin to wind down and actors such as Sean Penn (“Into the Wild”) and Ben Stiller (“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”) have brought their own artistic visions to the big screen. The list of participants goes on, but the actor-director transition leaves a significant conclusion: more often than not, actors’ turns in the director’s chair are favorably received and among the best movies of their release year. Maybe it’s the approach they bring to their acting roles, or that their directorial efforts are the projects they’ve always wanted to make, or they’re just the right fit. Whatever it is, there’s a mark that an actor-director leaves on the films they make, like Affleck’s grittiness in “The Town” or Kenneth Branagh’s elevation of “Thor” to an epic-like scale. This trend is one that will only grow in the future and eventually some of today’s big-name stars may be responsible for bringing modern classics to life. With the debuts of Elizabeth Banks’ “Pitch Perfect 2,” Jason Bateman’s “Bad Words,” Ryan Gosling’s “How to Catch a Monster” and Scarlett Johansson’s “Summer Crossing” coming to theaters soon, several of today’s big onscreen stars may make the transition to behind the camera and produce a winner.
Beatles’ timeless sound By Francie Johnson
It was exactly 50 years ago last Sunday that the Beatles changed the course of rock history with their iconic performance on The Ed Sullivan Show. After watching the Beatles tribute that aired on CBS for the performance’s 50th anniversary, I felt inspired to make a list of my own personal favorite Beatles songs. It’s nearly impossible to pick just five, so these are just a few of my many, many favorites. “Oh! Darling” Something about this song makes it impossible for me to listen to it just once. Maybe it’s Paul McCartney’s rich, soulful voice, maybe it’s the bluesy background music or maybe it’s the desperate yearning in the lyrics. Most likely, though, it’s a combination of those three factors that make this song possibly my favorite Beatles song of all time. Written by McCartney, “Oh! Darling” appeared on the the 1969 album “Abbey Road.” While recording the song, McCartney used to go into the studio rehearsal alone in order to get that throaty, worn-out sound to his voice. He would only actually record one take per day, and if it wasn’t right, he would wait until the next day to try again.
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“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” George Harrison is my favorite Beatle, and this song is the main reason why. One day, in his parents’ home, Harrison decided to write a song based on the first words he read after opening a book to a random page. His eyes happened upon the words “gently weeps,” and this fantastic song was born not long after. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” written by Harrison for “The White Album,” is in a constant battle with “Oh! Darling” for the number one spot on my list. The lyrics are beautiful, the melody is spot on and the fact that the song features a guitar solo by Eric Clapton definitely doesn’t hurt.
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“Happiness is a Warm Gun” Another song off the 1968 “White Album,” this John Lennon classic was supposedly both McCartney and Harrison’s favorite song on the entire album. Lennon came up with the title after seeing it written on the cover of a gun magazine and thinking it was a “fantastic, insane thing to say.” Amazon
“Something” This “Abbey Road” song is another one of George Harrison’s masterpieces. Many believe he wrote the song about his thenwife Pattie Boyd, whom he met while filming the Beatles movie “A Hard Day’s Night.” However, Harrison claims he was thinking of Ray Charles. Regardless of where the true inspiration for the song lies, “Something” will always be one of my favorite love songs. Many other Americans apparently felt the same way, because this was the first of Harrison’s compositions to be released as an A-side and the only one to top the U.S. charts.
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“Hey Jude”
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How can I have a favorite Beatles songs list without including the legendary “Hey Jude”? McCartney originally wrote the song as “Hey Jules” for Julian Lennon (John Lennon’s son) during John and Cynthia Lennon’s divorce. Somehow, “Hey Jules” became “Hey Jude,” and the song was released in August 1968 as the band’s first Apple Records single. It would be 20 years, though, before Julian Lennon would find out the song had been written for him. This song will always be a favorite of mine simply because it was one of the first Beatles songs I’ve ever loved and it opened me up to an entire world of Beatles music.
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Alumni create congressman information app By Matthew Wilson | Contributing Writer Keeping track and remaining up to date in politics can be a time-consuming and full-time job, even for politicians. There are hundreds of politicians in Washington, D.C., from all over the country that are constantly being elected and leaving office. For the average American, it can be difficult to know which politicians represent which regions and ideologies. Patrick May and Jen Deci, both University of Alabama alumni, hope to change this with the release of their iPhone app, Politicard. Politicard is an app that contains and sorts through the biographical information and names of all current congressmen in Washington. It allows people to match politicians’ names with their faces, political parties and professions. “This would help students identify who they should send their resume to for internships or staff positions,” May said. “For example, people favor their home state or college they went to. It helps people identify who has personal connections to themselves and focus their efforts on applying to those people.” May said he sees many politicians walking around D.C., but with the other 500 members in Congress, it can be hard to recognize and remember each one. “It becomes a problem when you see people walking around Capitol Hill. You know they’re members of Congress,” May said. “There’s more than 500 people, so it becomes difficult to distinguish one from another.” The two said they first considered the project during their freshman year at the University, but it wasn’t until they moved to the D.C. area that they saw a potential
market for their app. Deci said their interests in politics are what led to them deciding to create the app. “We saw the need for the ability to filter through members of Congress in efforts to realize networks you never knew you had,” Deci said. “A way to make your network larger is to realize what exactly are the connections you have with people.” Each brought something different to the project. May, who has an educational background in computer engineering, was the programmer on the app while Deci researched information and marketing strategy. “I helped in contributing the data and brainstorming the idea and how we’re going to market it,” Deci said. “I think we both have separate spheres up here, and it’s been interesting to see how they responded.” May’s experience previously working on Android apps helped in the overall process when designing Politicard. “It’s given me experience to kind of do it from a bit of prospective, designing things to where you can reuse them for Android,” May said. While Politicard may not necessarily help Americans better understand politics, it will help them to understand the politicians in Congress, May said. Politicians and government employees could also benefit from Politicard in their everyday work environment, May said. The app would help them to know a fellow politician’s information. “I want to help people work more efficiently. I love efficiency, and I hate to waste time. I feel like there is a lot of Screenshots Courtesy of Patrick May time wasted on Capitol Hill,” May said. Two University of Alabama alumni have created an app that sorts the biographical A price has not yet been set for the app, but it is schedinformation of current congressmen in Washington, D.C. uled for release in the next few weeks.
Singers host student-run performance By Bianca Martin | Contributing Writer The musical talents of a group of University of Alabama students will be showcased Thursday at the University Singers performance at Moody Music Building. University Singers is a selective ensemble of 45 student choral singers from around campus. “They’re kind of the best of the best,” said Michelle Rosenberg, event coordinator for the school of music. “Most of them are music majors or minors, but they actually do have people from all different departments.” The University Singers perform on several occasions throughout the year. However, this performance will be different from others. The director of the group is on sabbatical for the semester, CW | Lindsey Leonard so the concert will be entirely student-run, from The University Singers will perform their the singers to the pianist and even the conductor. student-run and student-directed showcase “This is going to double as a recital for one of Thursday.
COLUMN | GAMING
Zombie game relies on choices By Matthew Wilson You’re walking through the forest when you come across two teenagers and their band teacher. The teacher screams in pain, holding his leg that is caught in a bear trap. You calmly assess the situation. There are groans and moans around you. You look. There are zombies, half decomposing, staggering toward you. You try to open the trap, but it’s been tampered with. Frantically looking around, you hear the moans getting closer. You’re quickly running out of time. The teacher panics, twisting in the trap. You have a choice to make. You could leave him to the zombies, or you could save him. You have an ax, but you know it won’t be able to cut through the trap. There’s not much time. You have a choice to make. Choice has increasingly become a staple in many video games. Often, players have to deal with positive and negative choices, with their decision aligning them either the hero or villain on an in-game karma scale. Every so often a video game will force players to make hard choices that are morally gray. Telltale Games makes its living off of catering to such experiences. Throughout its game“The Walking Dead,” players are supposed to make increasingly difficult choices in order to survive the harsh apocalyptic lands filled with zombies. During the first season of five two-hour installments, players are cast as Lee, a convict saved from his sentence by said apocalypse, as he tries to make the best decisions to keep himself and Clementine, a little girl in his care, alive.
Every so often a video game will force players to make hard choices that are morally gray.
Over the course of the five episodes, player choices become increasingly hard to make as often the very lives of their companions hang in the balance. The first season ends on a particularly poignant note of one final choice that drives home the theme of the previous episodes. With the second episode of season two coming out shortly, Telltale has also turned its attention to other genres such as mystery and fantasy. Telltale’s focus on the choices the characters make connects each game. Its characters offer both shades of the noble hero or inner darkness depending on the choices the players make. Other characters will judge your actions, and their view of you will change based upon the choices you’ve made. For some players, certain characters might be a friend, while for others, these same characters might lash out angrily. While these choices ultimately don’t change the key moments of the game like some may expect, the choices players make allow them to forge a unique character and playthrough that reflects their psyche.
PLAN TO GO WHAT: University Singers WHEN: Thursday, 7 p.m. WHERE: Moody Music Building COST: $10 for general admission, $5 for seniors, $3 for children our doctoral students who is majoring in conducting,” Rosenberg said. “It’ll be her chance to be tested on her conducting skills.” The conductor, Sooyeon Lee, is earning her doctoral degree in music arts. Lee will lead this performance as part of her degree requirements. “I like to be a part of University Singers because every voice unifies and creates a new combination,” Lee said. “Singing as a group is a quite awesome experience because one person
cannot produce the sound such as a group producing different tones at one time.” Lee chose the five choral pieces that will be performed. The pieces are of various genres, ranging from European Renaissance to contemporary and Korean, including William Byrd’s “Sing Joyfully” and Herbert Howells’ “Requiem.” “I want to give a pleasure not only to the singers but also the audience,” Lee said. “I want them to be happy by singing and listening.” Rosenberg said she believes everyone should take the opportunity to see the University Singers perform. “I feel like more students would have a better understanding of what we are capable of if they would come to these, and they might want to participate as well. ” Rosenberg said. “I’m sure there’s a lot of students who have great vocal abilities who don’t realize these things are available to them.”
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Wednesday, February 19, 2014
MEN’S GOLF
Tide to start season in Puerto Rico Classic
UA Athletics Senior Bobby Wyatt is one of four returning golfers on this year’s team.
By Caroline Gazzara | Staff Reporter With only four players returning this season, the Alabama men’s golf team has a lot of work ahead if the team wants to win another national championship. Sophomore Tom Lovelady and seniors Cory Whitsett, Bobby Wyatt and Trey Mullinax round out the team’s experienced players. All four have a championship under their belt. “We’ve only won one national championship in the history of our program,” coach Jay Seawell said. “So it’s going to be hard. We realize that we’re very good. We have great talent. Winning a national championship is a hard thing. We have the pieces in place, and the guys are good enough. We just need to do the things day-to-day to get our minds ready when the championship comes.” Freshmen Dru Love, Gavin Moynihan, Robby Prater, William Sellers and Robby Shelton finish off the team’s roster. Although they are young, Seawell said it’s fun to mold so many players this season. “I think it’s fun [to have more younger players],” Seawell said. “As a coach, we want to teach to the young guys when they come in. It’s why we do what we do. Now all of them have an idea through the recruiting process, when you get here to the University and to the golf program, you start to really put the foundations [down] and instill into them what the team is all about.” Seawell said he was teaching his new
WHAT TO KNOW WHAT: Puerto Rico Classic WHEN: Feb. 23-25 WHERE: Rio Mar, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico players how to become Alabama athletes and how to live up to the expectations. Despite being outnumbered by freshmen, Seawell said the seniors will play a vital role this season. “The great thing about older players is that they’ve been in the system long enough, and they’ve got great leadership,” Seawell said. “Our three seniors are great leaders.” Alabama has had three months to prepare for the spring season. The Crimson Tide’s last tournament was in November, and since then, the team has been focusing on preparing for the spring season and the tournaments that matter most. “[We’re] trying to get our minds focused, really getting focused on the shot,” Seawell said. “I think we’re working hard, but we’re doing the same things. Our minds tend to wander early, so we’re trying to get the mental preparation for shots during shots.” Alabama has a full schedule in the coming months with back-to-back tournaments in the next three weeks. The Crimson Tide will first travel to Puerto Rico for the Puerto Rico Classic before heading to Mexico next week.
WOMEN’S GOLF
Arizona transfer returns to golf for Crimson Tide By Caroline Gazzara | Staff Reporter As a transfer student, Janie Jackson knew she had a lot to deal with. Most transfer students worry about making friends and their classes, but Jackson had one more thing to think about: playing golf for the Crimson Tide. Originally from Huntsville, Jackson went to the University of Arizona on a golf scholarship. Although she doesn’t regret leaving Alabama, the sophomore said coming back home was the best decision she ever made. “I’ve never really gone away from home or the South really, so when I was getting recruited I decided to take a chance and try something new,” Jackson said. “The opportunity kind of presented itself, and so I went to Arizona. It was a great year. I
Everything worked out so well, and I’m so blessed to come back. — Janie Jackson
don’t regret it at all. I had a lot of fun, but it was just too far away from home.” Jackson was initially offered a scholarship to Alabama, but when it came time to decide, Alabama only had one available spot, which went to then-freshman Emma Talley. Not thinking she would get a chance to play golf at the University again, Jackson
transferred anyway. Jackson said if a spot opened up on the team, she wanted to play. “Well [Alabama coach] Mic [Potter] was just really honest,” Jackson said. “He’s always been an honest person, but he told me originally when I decided to transfer there was no scholarship available. I told him there’s really no where else I’d rather be, so even though there’s no scholarship right now I would commit [because] I want to play for Alabama.” Fortunately, Jackson was able to receive a scholarship. “After I committed, they actually had a girl who was one the team transfer somewhere else,” Jackson said. “And then they had the money for me. Everything worked out so well, and I’m so blessed to come back. It couldn’t have gone any better.” During her time at Arizona, Jackson
had a scoring average of 74.56. Jackson played 34 rounds at Arizona. She and her team also finished eighth in the NCAA Championship. Compared to Arizona, Alabama has a different system, which Jackson said has benefited her in many ways. “They’re actually really different,” Jackson said. “I like the way practice is set up here. At Arizona, I think we played a bit more. Here we’re doing more drills in certain areas that we need to get better. I really like that because I think that helps me a lot in certain areas of the game where I struggled before. Coach Potter has really helped break that down for me and helped me focus on where I need to get better so it helps me a lot.” Jackson will play next at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate this weekend.
SPORTSIN BRIEF Sims earns SEC honor Alabama freshman gymnast Aja Sims was named SEC Freshman of the Week, the league announced Tuesday. Sims posted career highs on the floor exercise (9.875) and the balance beam (9.925) to help Alabama to its 108th straight win over Auburn on Friday.
Softball maintains top-10 ranking Despite its first two losses of the season over the weekend, the Alabama softball team remained in the top 10 in both major softball polls. The Crimson Tide slipped to ninth in the USA Today/NFCA poll and seventh in the ESPN.com/USA softball poll.
Men’s track and field team holds steady at No. 11 The Alabama men’s track and field team remained at No. 11 in this week’s U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division I National Team Computer Rankings after Alabama athletes won three events at the Tyson Invitational last weekend. Compiled by Marc Torrence
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Wednesday, February 19, 2014
MEN’S TENNIS
Tide prepares for tournament By Leila Beem | Contributing Writer After coming off tough but close losses to strong teams, Alabama men’s tennis coach George Husack said the Crimson Tide has shown potential as it prepares for the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic tournament in Montgomery this weekend. “There’s not much that separates us from being a great team,” Husack said. “We have to continue to ask ourselves how we’re going to respond in those tight situations.” Though the young Alabama team fell to Oklahoma State and No. 7 Oklahoma in last weekend’s tournament at home, Husack said the team showed competitiveness by forcing tiebreakers in six of the 15 combined singles and doubles matches against Oklahoma State, then getting on the board against Oklahoma by clinching a close singles match in consecutive sets. Husack said he believes this competitive attitude is one of the best things he sees in this Crimson Tide team as it readies itself for Montgomery. “I would say one of the best qualities of the team would be response because we kind of gave away a match against Oklahoma State, but we responded well against Oklahoma,” he said. “Also, I see improvement. We had a chance to win against Oklahoma, and we need to play
smarter and keep improving if we want to beat teams that are ranked in the top 10.” Alabama has been no stranger to ranked teams. After facing No. 7 Oklahoma last weekend at home, the Crimson Tide will face three top-25 teams this weekend in Montgomery: No. 9 Mississippi State, No. 23 Clemson and No. 24 Auburn. The Blue Gray National Tennis Classic will also feature Texas Tech, Princeton, Boise State and VCU. Husack said what is essential for the team is working on fundamentals in practices to make sure players are prepared for the upcoming tournament. “In terms of our focus going into this week, number one is to develop details, so, a lot of the small stuff,” he said. “We need to hit outside as much as possible because it’s an outdoor event.” Because of the proximity of the tournament, Husack also said the team is looking forward to playing and seeing Alabama fans come out in support. “We’ve had really good crowds,” he said. “We’ve had almost full-capacity crowds at home, and that’s been really exciting. It definitely helps the team, and we’ve made an effort to connect more with the community through a variety of different programs. You know, as much as we want people to come see us, we need to make sure that the people know who we are and
PLAN TO GO WHAT: Alabama, No. 9 Mississippi State, No. 23 Clemson, No. 24 Auburn, Texas Tech, Princeton, Boise State WHEN: Friday-Sunday (Times TBA) WHERE: Lagoon Park Tennis Center in Montgomery can connect with us too.” Freshman Saxon Buehning said Crimson Tide fans have played a great role in team morale in tough in matches. “We’ve had great support,” Buehning said. “I mean, the fan base is everything. We feel like when you guys come out and get behind us, it can change a match instantly.” As the team seeks to improve its 4-4 record in Montgomery this weekend, confidence on the team is high. Senior captain Daniil Proskura, now ranked No. 12 in the nation, said the team is training its hardest in preparation. “Our mindset is to just work as hard as we can every day and take opportunities where we have them and play our best tennis and see what happens,” Proskura said.
CW | Lindsey Leonard After facing No. 7 Oklahoma last weekend, the Tide faces three top-25 teams this weekend.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Alabama, Auburn host classic in Montgomery By Elliott Propes | Contributing Writer
CW | Austin Bigoney After an upset of the No. 10 Virginia Cavaliers, the Tide advances to the postseason.
Coming off its biggest win of the season, the No. 16 Alabama women’s tennis team is heading down to Montgomery for the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic. The tournament will feature eight teams from around the country and will be hosted by Alabama and No. 20 Auburn. “It’s going to be a great field,” coach Jenny Mainz said. “It’s a premier college event.” The field includes two other top-25 teams, No. 19 Texas Tech and No. 23 Rice. Illinois, Oklahoma State, Tulane and Yale round out the competition. A total of eight teams will battle it out to decide a winner. “One of the things that is real exciting is that we are going as Alabama tennis,” Mainz said. “This is the only event we really get to do this. It should be exciting.” The Alabama men’s team will also be playing in the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic. Both
teams will travel together and both tournaments will be going on at the same time. The women say they are excited to have the men as fans and are happy to be fans of the men themselves. “Its going to help us a lot,” junior Luicelena Perez said. “Its going to be fun too. We’re good friends, and it’s good opportunity for both of us to perform there together.” Saturday, Alabama upset the No. 10 Virginia Cavaliers 4-3. Alabama fell to the Cavaliers the week before in the ITA Collegiate Indoor Championships. The revenge against Virginia helped Alabama’s confidence. “I think it’s a big confidence builder,” Mainz said. “A big boost.” Junior Emily Zabor was the difference in the match. When the match was tied 3-3, Zabor finished strong and won the clinching point against Virginia. “It was tangible evidence of what we can
do this season,” Zabor said. “Getting that win against them just told us what we have the opportunity to do.” Alabama has had a tough schedule so far and has played well. The only two losses have come against No. 9 USC and the first match against Virginia. The tough schedule has given Alabama a lot of experience already. “I feel the schedule we have played thus far has prepared us well for Blue Gray and then for the SEC campaign,” Mainz said. The tournament begins Friday and will be played throughout the weekend. Even if Alabama loses, the team will play consolation matches Saturday and Sunday. Zabor knows what kind of mindset Alabama has to have. “We are not going into the tournament thinking, ‘Oh shoot, we don’t want to lose,’” Zabor said. “We are going into it thinking, ‘We want to take this thing, and we want to continue to build on what Alabama is doing now.’”
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Wednesday, February 19, 2014
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HOROSCOPES Today’s Birthday (02/19/14). Disciplined efforts bring success wherever applied this year. Creativity bubbles with inspired magic, especially until August. Put your heart into it, and career leaps ahead. Balance this work with downtime, relaxation and healthy practices. Find joy in simple pleasures. Summer and autumn get especially romantic. Build partnership and family teamwork through listening and communication. Grow love in your garden. 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 a 9 -- Be respectful and don’t hold a grudge or you’ll be hurting yourself. It’s okay not to make changes yet, but prepare for speed. Caring for others is your motivation. Don’t gamble or waste your money. Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is a 9 -- Something that worked before doesn’t work now. Take it slow. Get set to change romantic direction. Avoid provoking jealousies. Simplify matters. Fall back and re-assess your position. Wait to see what develops. Prioritize health. Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is a 9 -- It’s not a good idea to spend now. Figure out your next move. Begin a new moneymaking venture. Track sales closely. Support a loved one emotionally, rather than financially. Don’t believe everything you hear. Cancer (Jun 21 - Jul 22) - Today is an 8 - Set long-range goals. Work in private. A female gives the green light on a project. Don’t get cocky or make expensive promises. Map the pitfalls. Do the extra credit problems. Leave the past in the past. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -Today is a 9 -- A roadblock slows the action. A female helps you find harmony about it. Think it over. A conflict of interests needs to get worked out. Rest up for it. Advance quickly after that. Consider all options. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is a 9 -- The work
pace picks up; postpone travel. It’s difficult to reach an agreement and could get intense. Don’t get stopped by past failures. List obvious problem areas. Discuss priorities and responsibilities. Handle the onrush, and invoice later. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is a 9 -- Listen to your partner’s ideas carefully. Hold back your criticism and avoid a conflict. Resist an impulse. Keep costs down. Postpone a financial discussion. Use your own good judgment on how to proceed. Provide leadership. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is an 8 -- Curtail your enthusiasm and avoid a hidden danger. It’s not a good time to travel or start new projects. Make sure you know what’s required before committing. Consult a respected elder. Rest and recharge. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is a 9 -- Give kind words, not expensive treats. Begin a new work project. An important document arrives. New evidence threatens complacency. Take action for home or family. Don’t give in to a friend’s complaints. It works out. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is a 9 -- Keep track of spending, as it could provoke controversy or a domestic disagreement. Organize your infrastructure. Prepare the marketing materials. Handle overdue tasks, and clean house. Manage your work well and an authority approves. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is a 9 -- Make plans and establish the rules. An agreement could be elusive, with a communications breakdown. A great idea on paper doesn’t work in practice. Don’t gossip about work. Let your partner do the talking. Listen for the gold. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is a 9 -- Talk over a possible purchase with someone you love. Don’t put your money down yet. You can get farther faster now. Dish out the assignments, and get into the game. Small, disciplined steps can have big impact.
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p.12 Marc Torrence | Editor sports@cw.ua.edu
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
COLUMN | FOOTBALL
Saban’s process needs to adapt to changing football environment By Christopher Chase Edmunds
CW | Austin Bigoney The Tide defense struggled last season against fast-paced offenses.
Despite neck injury, Shaw will assist wtih football program FOOTBALL FROM PAGE 1
Shaw, a 6-foot 4-inch, 295-pound defensive tackle from Tucker High School in Tucker, Ga., suffered a neck injury in August 2013 during a practice before the start of his senior season that ended his playing career. Shaw said he was hit when his head was down on a routine hitting drill, causing him to black out for about five seconds. “I don’t know what happened,” Shaw said. “I just know when I got hit, it put me in shock. Then, my neck started to really hurt.” Shaw’s mother Priscilla picked him up from practice that day to get him checked out at Emory Orthopaedics and Spine Center. She said she never imagined the diagnosis would be as bad it was. Elisha Shaw had three separate issues with his neck: He has strained ligaments at C1, the highest cervical vertebra of the spine, which helps stabilize the head and neck; bulging discs at C3 and C4 and an improper curve in his neck with which he was likely born. “When I picked him up from the field, I knew he was hurt because I would go over a bump, and he would cringe,” Priscilla Shaw said. “But only after they took X-rays and MRIs and everything and showed what it was, did I realize how
The Saint Louis University football team went undefeated in 1906, the first year that the forward pass was legal in college football. The Billikens outscored opponents 407-11 that season. Although the school does not have a football team anymore, coach Eddie Cochems made his mark on college football history by developing the first passing offense and using it to dominate in a game that relied solely on size and strength. Darwin would be so proud. Nick Saban knows he needs to adapt. The Crimson Tide’s two losses last season revealed the fact that our football team plays in first gear, while
serious it was.” That was the last time Elisha Shaw was able to play football. “I never saw him so heartbroken when they told him he wasn’t going to play ball anymore, because that’s his passion,” Priscilla Shaw said. “He’s been playing ball ever since he was 6 years old. He has lots of knowledge when it comes to the game. He loves the game. To me, he’s been more interested in football than anything in life that I’ve ever seen him been interested in.” The injury came as Elisha Shaw was emerging as a star on the field. After playing with the freshman team as a ninth grader and missing his sophomore season due to academic issues, Elisha Shaw had a breakout year with the varsity team his junior year, registering 22 tackles (seven for loss) and two sacks, while helping guide Tucker to the state quarterfinals as the team’s starting nose tackle. Scholarship offers for Elisha Shaw began flying in from schools across the country, including Florida State, Texas, Ohio State, Georgia and Alabama. “He was just a physical specimen in terms of his God-given athletic ability and talents, and he had a desire to be really good,” Tucker coach Bryan Lamar said. “A lot of times you get big guys in there, and they’ll get lazy and you got to poke and prod at them, because everything is a struggle for them because they’re so big,” Lamar said. “But
teams who adopt quick no-huddle offenses are speeding past us. An NCAA committee recently passed a proposal that would slow down these up-tempo offenses by prohibiting teams from snapping the ball until 29 seconds remain on the 40-second play clock. This rule, championed by Saban and Arkansas coach Bret Bielema, would essentially give defenses 10 seconds to make substitutions and get organized. One of Saban’s arguments for the rule change is focused on player safety. His reasoning is that if games have more plays, players are more likely to get injured. Unfortunately for Saban and other football traditionalists, this argument is not likely to accomplish anything.
Elisha was a big guy. He was like a linebacker or a defensive end inside of a defensive tackle’s body.” When playing was no longer an option, Shaw turned to what he said is the next best thing – coaching. Elisha Shaw still attended every practice after his injury and enjoyed helping his teammates as individuals and as a unit, Lamar said. “You got a kid who loves to play the game, who dreamed of playing it at the highest level and has to deal with this reality,” Lamar said. “But he’s a kid that has responded about as well as a kid could respond to the situation.” Even though his football-playing dreams were over, he still needed to make a decision on his future. Though Elisha Shaw received numerous offers, there were really only two schools on his radar – Alabama and Georgia. Although, when Lamar asked Elisha Shaw where he wanted to go to school after he learned of the severity of his injury, there was a clearcut choice. He wanted to go to Alabama. So Lamar called then-Alabama defensive line coach Chris Rumph, who was the Crimson Tide’s main recruiter in the area, to see what Alabama could do. Rumph, along with Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart, sat down with Saban to discuss Shaw’s status and made the decision to stand by their offer. Elisha Shaw did not technically “sign” with Alabama, but he did sign the paperwork that
The proposal now must be approved by the playing rules oversight panel. “Their role is to examine rules on the basis of player safety, economic impact and image of the game,” said Rogers Redding, NCAA coordinator of officials. It looks to me like the economic impact and image of the game will trump player safety on this one. After a 1905 season in which 18 players were killed and 159 were seriously injured, the Rules Committee still legalized the forward pass. Player safety was not a trump card a century ago and it is not a trump card now. The game is changing and Saban’s process needs to adapt if it is to survive.
will grant him a medical hardship scholarship that will pay for his tuition. As promised by Saban and the coaching staff, Shaw will still be around the program, where he will help assist in his new passion of coaching. As of now, Elisha Shaw said he will be helping Smart with recruiting, which Lamar said he thinks Shaw will be more than qualified for. “He’s extremely involved,” Lamar said. “He’s very charismatic. He’s a great leader. “The kid wants to be successful, and he’s going to try to find a way to be successful. And so if he can’t play, he’s going to try to find a way to be as successful a coach as possible and be a good person.” Coming to grips with his injury has not been easy for Elisha Shaw, even months later, he said, but he is past feeling sorry for himself. Though he said his neck has not been in pain since the three or four weeks after the injury first occurred, he still needs to have surgery at some point to help stabilize it. A time for that has not yet been scheduled, but it likely won’t happen at a time that will interfere with school. That decision is not yet imperative for Elisha Shaw, Priscilla Shaw said. She said her son is more focused on getting to Alabama – a place he describes as home – beginning probably sometime this summer. “He feels loved at Alabama. He loves Nick Saban, and he just loves the coaches there,” Priscilla Shaw said. “When I went, I felt that feeling that he feels. It’s like home.”