Thursday, February 21, 2013
Serving the University of Alabama since i 1894
NEWS | OBITUARY
V Vol.l 119 119, IIssue 93
NEWS | STUDENT RECREATION CENTER
NEWS | DRUG RAID
Drug unit Morning subject of accident FBI probe kills UA student Rush to Rec varies daily CW | Austin Bigoney
Investigation result of Nov. accounting audit By Stephen N. Dethrage Production Editor
The graph below shows the average weekly visits to the Student Recreation Center based on Act Card swipes per hour from Jan. 1 to Feb. 20
329+ 288-328 247-287 206-246 165-205 124-164 83-123 42-82 0-41 CLOSED
Submitted
Dwight “Doc” Reel II
By Adrienne Burch Assistant News Editor The first time Miles Hutcherson met Dwight “Doc” Reel II, he walked right up to him and said, “Nice to meet you. I’m Doc, like doctor.” “I couldn’t help but laugh at his goofy introduction, and an hour later I felt like I had known him my whole life,” Hutcherson said of Reel, his friend and fraternity brother. Reel, a University of Alabama student, was driving his pickup truck on Kicker Road around 2 a.m. Wednesday morning when he crashed into a tree. From his quick wit to his dog He was named Cat, he always had transporta way to make his friends ed to DCH Regional laugh. Medical C e n t e r — Miles Hutcherson and pronounced dead there by a physician, EMS Chief Travis Parker said. “Doc was someone who could always put you in a good mood,” Hutcherson said. “Anyone who ever came in contact with him knows that.” Hutcherson said Reel could make anyone’s day better. “From his quick wit to his dog named Cat, he always had a way to make his friends laugh,” Hutcherson said. Reel, the son of Craig and Aundrea Reel, was from Southlake, Texas. He was a sophomore majoring in advertising.
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SEE REEL PAGE 7
BEST TIMES TO WORK OUT: SUNDAY 8-11 A.M. THURSDAY 9-NOON FRIDAY 6-9 A.M. WORST TIMES TO WORK OUT: MONDAY 4-7 P.M. TUESDAY 4-7 P.M. FRIDAY 2-5 P.M.
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
5:00-5:59 6:00-6:59 7:00-7:59 8:00-8:59 9:00-9:59 10:00-10:59 11:00-11:59 NOON-12:59 1:00-1:59 2:00-2:59 3:00-3:59 4:00-4:59 5:00-5:59 6:00-6:59 7:00-7:59 8:00-8:59 9:00-9:59 10:00-10:59 11:00-11:59 90,593
80,000 Number of visitors per month
Friends say Dwight Reel II could brighten their day
TIME
The West Alabama Narcotics Task Force, the unit that headed Tuesday’s record-breaking drug raids on and off The University of Alabama campus, is the subject of an ongoing FBI investigation into their accounting practices, the FBI confirmed Wednesday. The FBI probe, which began in December, is the result of discrepancies found in a November audit of the task force’s accounting. The audit took place after the previous commander of the task force, Captain Jeff Snyder of the Tuscaloosa Police Department, transferred to another division of TPD, and a new commander was assigned to lead the unit. In addition to controlled substances, the task force confiscates money in raids and investigations they handle, and TPD Chief Steve Anderson said in a press conference Tuesday afternoon that the morning raids were no exception. “Agents also seized three guns and thousands of dollars,” Anderson said. Sgt. Brent Blankley, the public information officer for the Tuscaloosa Police Department, declined to release any more information regarding Tuesday’s raids, the amount money that was seized in the raids, the guidelines for seizing that money or information on its oversight.
69,588
60,000
55,49
Act Card Swipes by Month 62,501
64,651 65,067
59,367
54,366
47,609
40,000
30,139
0
51,209
28,447
26,420 26,867 23,695
20,000
78,880
10/2011 11/2011 12/2011 1/2012 2/2012 3/2012 4/2012 5/2012 6/2012 7/2012 8/2012 9/2012 10/2012 11/2012 12/2012 1/2013
SEE RAIDS PAGE 7
CW | Whitney Hendrix
SPORTS | GYMNASTICS
Patterson credits strength coach for team’s power Travis Illian in 6th year as trainer for gymnasts By Marquavius Burnett Sports Editor Communication is the key for Travis Illian and the gymnasts he trains. When he gets the gymnasts as freshman, their bodies are programmed to think more is better, and training for 40 hours a week is
mandatory. The girls are fresh off a strenuous club gymnastics program which forces them to treat training as a full-time job. They constantly beat their bodies down, and complaining about a potential injury is considered a weakness as they work towards their goals of being the best. That all changes once they step on campus. “I have to teach them, ‘Hey, you’re not 14 anymore, and you can’t pound your body for 40 hours a week,’”
Illian said. “They spend 17 years of their life not listening to their bodies. My goal is to change that mindset.” Illian works as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for The University of Alabama, training the women’s soccer team and the gymnastics team. In his sixth year at the University, Illian has mastered the art of training gymnasts and getting them to perform at a peak level when the time is right. Illian has worked to
create workouts specific to the individual gymnasts with emphasis on controlling the nervous system. Things weren’t always smooth for Illian. Along with the soccer and gymnastics team, he’s worked with football players, the women’s rowing team and the field athletes for track and field. He had to learn the nuances of training a gymnast and develop the patience to work through problems.
SEE GYMNASTICS PAGE 10
SPORTS | FOOTBALL
Crimson Tide hires Mario Cristobal to replace Jeff Stoutland as offensive line coach New hire coached FIU for previous 6 seasons CW Staff
MCT Campus
Mario Cristobal, previously the head coach of Florida International University, yells after a FIU touchdown against Arkansas State University on Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012. er • Plea s
er • Plea
ap
ecycle this p
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INSIDE today’s paper
University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban announced the hiring of Mario Cristobal as Alabama’s offensive line coach and assistant head coach Wednesday. Cristobal takes over for Jeff Stoutland, who was hired by the Philadelphia Eagles on Feb. 8. “We are very pleased to announce the addition of Mario Cristobal to our staff,” Saban said in a statement. “He has
an outstanding reputation as both a coach and a recruiter. He will be a great fit in our organization, and I think our players will respond to his positive attitude and energy. This is a very important hire in terms of working with our offensive line, and we feel fortunate that we were able to hire a coach of Mario’s caliber. We want to welcome Mario and his family to The University of Alabama, and we are excited to have them here.” Cristobal spent the last six seasons (2007-12) as head coach at Florida International University. He led the Panthers to the 2010 Sun Belt Conference title and
Briefs ........................2
Sports ..................... 10
Opinions ...................4
Puzzles.................... 15
Culture .................... 18
Classifieds .............. 15
their first bowl appearance – a victory in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl over Toledo. He was the 2010 Sun Belt Coach of the Year and also guided FIU to a bowl appearance in 2011 (Beef O’Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl). He most recently joined Miami’s staff on Jan. 10, where he served as associate head coach and tight ends coach. “I want to thank Coach Saban and everyone here at The University of Alabama for this incredible opportunity,” Cristobal said. Before taking over as the head coach at FIU, Cristobal was an assistant at Miami for three seasons (2004-06). He was the tight
WEATHER today
ends’ coach the first two seasons and offensive line coach in 2006. His first full-time coaching position was as an assistant at Rutgers, where he coached tight ends and offensive line from 200103. From 1998-2000, Cristobal was a graduate assistant on the Miami Hurricanes staff. Cristobal was a four-year letterwinner for the University of Miami from 1988-92, and after his college playing career, he signed a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos in 1994. Cristobal and his wife Jessica were married in June of 2006 and have two sons, Mario Jr. and Rocco.
Chance of T-storms
61º/57º
Friday 68º/45º T-storms
cl e recy this p se
GO ON THE
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FRIDAY
What: Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre
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What: Softball Doubleheader
SATURDAY What: Men’s Tennis Double-
v. Furman and Southern Miss
Where: Morgan Auditorium
Where: Tuscaloosa, Ala.
When: 5:30 p.m.
When:4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
What: Study Abroad Interest
What: Alabama Repertory
Night
Dance Theatre
Where: The Crossroads
Where: Morgan Auditorium
Lounge
When: 5:30 p.m.
When: 7 p.m.
header v. Furman and Southern Miss
Where: Tennis Fields When: 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. What: Softball Doubleheader vs. Western Illinois and Iowa
Where: Tuscaloosa, Ala. When: 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
What: Blackburn Institute
Page 2• Thursday, February 21, 2013
Lecture featuring Bob Woodward
What: Othello Where: Marian Gallaway Theatre
P.O. Box 870170 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 Newsroom: 348-6144 | Fax: 348-8036 Advertising: 348-7845 Classifieds: 348-7355
Where: Bryant Conference Center
When: 7:30 p.m.
When: 6 - 7 p.m.
Submit your events to calendar@cw.ua.edu
EDITORIAL Will Tucker editor-in-chief editor@cw.ua.edu Ashley Chaffin managing editor Stephen Dethrage production editor Mackenzie Brown visuals editor Melissa Brown online editor
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LAKESIDE LUNCH Roasted Beef Top Round Egg Noodles Sautéed Cabbage Carrots Vegetable Alfredo (Vegetarian)
Adrienne Burch Chandler Wright assistant news editors newsdesk@cw.ua.edu
DINNER Roasted Pork Loin with Bigarade Sauce Pinto Beans Spicy Corn & Tomatoes Squash Medley Three Pepper Cavatappi with Pesto (Vegetarian)
LUNCH Steak Baked Potato Lemon Broccoli Steamed Carrots with Brown Sugar Southwest Garbanzo Bean Cake (Vegetarian)
Marquavius Burnett sports editor
Florida university suspends most fraternity, sorority activities
John Brinkerhoff opinion editor
MCT Campus
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want to avoid the kind of media attention that overwhelmed Florida A&M University after the hazing death of drum major Robert Champion after the Florida Classic in Orlando in 2011. “I think some of the universities are finally saying that hazing has to stop,” she said. “They’re acknowledging that it’s going on and they cannot rely on the Greek organizations to self-police adequately.” John Williams, executive director of the Alabama-based Center for the Study of PanHellenic Issues, said it would be inappropriate not to take this type of action. “Students need to clearly know what the consequences of their negative behavior will be,” he said. Some students, though, complained about the unfairness of punishing all the Greek groups for the actions of a few. “UCF: U Can’t Frat! Just another sign of how poor relations have become between University and Greek life,” Brad Bailey wrote on his Facebook page.
Janmichael Serrano, whose Facebook page suggests he’s affiliated with the UCF chapter of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, said he’s slowly losing school pride. “Do not punish me on your moral and ethical grounds, instead spend your time working on bettering this world through education,” he wrote. Ehasz said that UCF plans to create an advisory committee comprising faculty members, students, alumni and others to “generate feedback and recommendations that will strengthen Greek Life at UCF.” The university will research best practices and help develop the criteria that fraternities and sororities will need to meet before they can resume their regular activities. During that time, the student organizations can continue holding business meetings. Students will continue to live in UCF’s fraternity and sorority houses. Philanthropic activities must be specifically approved by the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.
simply scare tactics, Comptroller Robert Hale said, “We don’t have a lot of choices. . . . I think we’re going to have serious readiness effects. I don’t see where we’re going to get the money. We’re going to have to cut back on training significantly.” While troops already deployed won’t be directly affected by these deep cuts, the lack of training could affect
future deployments, especially in the Army, but across all the services. Acting Under-Secretary of Defense Jessica Wright said that the cuts would be felt by everyone, in all services and in all locations. She noted the “invaluable service” of civilian employees and said that furloughs would leave military personnel worrying about spouses and kids at home who rely on the Pentagon’s civilian workforce for various services, like commissaries, schools and medical care. “The effects of sequestration on the military will be devastating, but on our civilians, it will be catastrophic,” she said. “These critical members of our workforce work in our depots, they maintain and repair our tanks, our aircraft, our ships.”
ON THE RADAR
Lauren Ferguson culture editor
Ashanka Kumari chief copy editor
FRESH FOOD
ORLANDO, Fla. — The University of Central Florida has shut down most fraternity and sorority activities as it investigates two Greek organizations for alleged hazing and alcohol abuse. It’s the first time that the state’s largest public university has taken such drastic action. But officials said they wanted to send the clear message that UCF’s Greek culture needs to change before things turn tragic. Un ive r s i t y officials announced Wednesday that they have halted all fraternity and sorority social events, newmember education activities and initiation activities until “Greek culture reflects the values of the UCF Creed and, more importantly, that we can ensure compliance with laws and university regulations governing hazing and alcohol.” “We want to be ahead of the curve on this,” said Maribeth Ehasz, vice president of student development and enrollment services. “We don’t want
to wait for a catastrophe to occur. We want our Greek system to be as strong as I know it can be.” Ehasz could not say how long groups will be suspended. But she is hopeful that at least some will be allowed to resume their activities by the end of the spring semester. The decision prompted a flood of criticism from students at UCF and public universities statewide. Many took to Facebook minutes after the announcement to express their frustration. Meanwhile, some anti-hazing experts praised UCF for taking strong steps to deal with a problem that affects colleges and universities nationwide. Ehasz said the change was prompted by a recent string of hazing investigations. Just this month, the university has suspended two of its fraternities — Sigma Chi and Alpha Epsilon Pi — amid allegations of hazing and alcohol-related misconduct. In December, the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity was placed on disciplinary probation after
UCF determined it had been involved in hazing. Over the past three years, UCF has found Greek organizations guilty of violating hazing rules three times and breaking alcohol-related rules 13 times, officials said Wednesday. Sigma Chi is a repeat offender. In 2011, it was placed on disciplinary probation after freshman Ann Hefferin’s death. Although witnesses said Hefferin, 18, had been drinking, and the fraternity acknowledged failing to prevent underage drinking at a party she attended, it was determined that Hefferin actually died of a rare bacterial infection. Susan Lipkins, a New York psychologist and leading authority in campus conflict and violence, commended UCF. She said colleges have started taking hazing more seriously in recent years. Some, including Cornell and Alfred universities in New York, have reacted to the often violent practice by suspending Greek activities or kicking fraternities off campus. Schools, Lipkins said, also
Keenan Madden 348-2670 Camille Dishongh 348-6875 Will Whitlock 348-8735 Amy Metzler osmspecialprojects3@gmail.com Jake Morrow osmspecialprojects2@gmail.com The Crimson White is the community newspaper of The University of Alabama. The Crimson White is an editorially free newspaper produced by students. The University of Alabama cannot influence editorial decisions and editorial opinions are those of the editorial board and do not represent the official opinions of the University. Advertising offices of The Crimson White are in room 1014, Student Media Building, 414 Campus Drive East. The advertising mailing address is P.O. Box 870170, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487. The Crimson White (USPS 138020) is published four times weekly when classes are in session during Fall and Spring Semester except for the Monday after Spring Break and the Monday after Thanksgiving, and once a week when school is in session for the summer. Marked calendar provided. The Crimson White is provided for free up to three issues. Any other papers are $1.00. The subscription rate for The Crimson White is $125 per year. Checks should be made payable to The University of Alabama and sent to: The Crimson White Subscription Department, P.O. Box 870170, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487. The Crimson White is entered as periodical postage at Tuscaloosa, AL 35401. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Crimson White, P.O. Box 870170, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487. All material contained herein, except advertising or where indicated otherwise, is Copyright © 2013 by The Crimson White and protected under the “Work Made for Hire” and “Periodical Publication” categories of the U.S. copyright laws. Material herein may not be reprinted without the expressed, written permission of The Crimson White.
Without a budget accord, Pentagon prepares for furloughs MCT Campus WASHINGTON — Tanks would not roll, fighter jets would be grounded and aircraft carriers might be stuck dockside. In addition, the Defense’s Department 800,000-member civilian workforce likely would go without paychecks at times throughout the year if mandatory federal budget cuts go into effect March 1, top Pentagon officials said Wednesday. The department, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said in a memo to employees, “will be forced to place the vast majority of its civilian workforce on
administrative furlough.” Moreover, by the end of September, two-thirds of U.S. Army combat troops would be “unacceptable” in terms of military readiness, potentially affecting the ability to deploy warriors to replace those already deployed, officials said. “There is no mistaking that the rigid nature of the cuts forced upon this department, and their scale, will result in a serious erosion of readiness across the force,” Panetta wrote. With barely a week to go before the $85 billion in acrossthe-board federal budget
cuts become reality, defense officials released the most detailed look to date of their effects. The looming budget ax is the result of the inability of Democrats and Republicans to reach a deal that would satisfy their own agreed-to Budget Control Act of 2011. The Pentagon is faced with $46 billion in cuts. Asked during a news conference if such dire outcomes weren’t
CORRECTION In the Feb. 20 column, “Waysider a stop for city’s champions,” we stated The Waysider serves only breakfast food, while the restaurant serves both breakfast and lunch. The Crimson White regrets this error and is happy to set the record straight.
N EWS Few UA scholarships available for current students
Page 3
NEWS OPINION CULTURE SPORTS
By Sarah Elizabeth Tooker Staff Reporter
Many University of Alabama students who did not receive incoming freshman scholarships experience the difficulties that come with trying to find financial aid after they arrive on campus, even with academic and extracurricular achievements. One student, Alexis Carter, a junior majoring in marketing, performed well in high school, graduating at the top of her class. Since arriving to campus she has maintained a 4.0 GPA, but because her standardized test scores were lower than what UA requires for a scholarship, she pays out-of-state tuition. Each year, students are asked to complete the University’s application for scholarships by the Dec. 1 deadline. The scholarships from this application for current students come from sources like academic departments or the general alumni scholarship funding. Clif Davis, manager of the
Assistant Editors | Chandler Wright and Adrienne Burch newsdesk@cw.ua.edu Thursday, February 21, 2013
“
Every semester it seems harder and harder to receive any type of scholarships because most major funds are designated to students during their freshman year, and each department has fairly small amounts to award upperclassmen. — Alexis Carter
alumni scholarship program, said the National Alumni Association was responsible for awarding approximately $4.4 million in scholarship assistance to more than 2,400 students this academic year through earnings generated from investment of endowments, combined with its operating budget. “While the majority of alumni scholarships are directed toward entering freshman students, there are several General Alumni Scholarships serving currently enrolled students, as well as the Academic Walk-On Scholarship that specifically benefits currently enrolled students,” Davis said. The Academic Walk-On scholarship, Davis explained,
is awarded to full-time UA undergraduate students who have completed at least three semesters on campus and who entered UA as non-scholarship holders or recipients of minimal awards. “Approximately 350-400 applicants apply annually, from which 75 are eligible and 10-15 recipients are selected dependent upon available funding,” he said. “The award value is $1,500 per year and renewable for up to two years.” Aside from these awards, there are 12 other general alumni endowments available for currently enrolled students, Davis said, which range upwards from $500 per year, with some renewable for up to two years.
“The number of students receiving these scholarships depends upon funding available for that award, but normally at least one student recipient is awarded for each endowment.” The UA Office of Media Relations did not respond to requests for comment by press time. Velda Rooker, director of university scholarships at Auburn, agreed most of their general scholarships were aimed at attracting incoming freshman students. “Approximately 50 percent of General Scholarships state a preference or requirement for incoming freshman,” Rooker said. “For those few General Scholarships with broader criteria, all residents and non-residents can be considered, which makes those scholarships very competitive.” Rooker explained more general scholarships are awarded to incoming freshman because they are often used for recruitment purposes. “Conversely, the various
colleges and schools award Departmental Scholarships primarily to current students as a means of recognizing achievement and for retention purposes,” she said. Laura Diven-Brown, financial aid director at The University of Mississippi, said general scholarships are definitely targeted more to recruitment of new freshman or community college transfers on their campus as well. “Financial aid awards some general scholarships, but the others are typically handled by academic departments when it comes to continuing students,” Diven-Brown said. “We have scholarships that are one-year only, although most are renewable for up to four years, but then these are offered only to entering freshmen.” At the academic department level, Diven-Brown said funds can be used for both recruitment and to award deserving majors who have done well in their studies at The University of Mississippi. “Like many financial aid
administrators, I do wish there were more funds for continuing students who are performing well in college,” she said. Carter, who continues to work hard to stay involved on campus, said after her freshman year, she felt as if applying for scholarships was utterly useless. “Every semester it seems harder and harder to receive any type of scholarships because most major funds are designated to students during their freshman year, and each department has fairly small amounts to award upperclassmen,” Carter said. After maintaining a 4.0 in high school and involving herself in various clubs and extracurricular activities, Carter said she feels like all her hard work was done for nothing. “Each year I usually receive $2,000 to $2,500 from departmental scholarships, which may seem like a lot to an instate student, but when I am paying full out-of-state tuition, it just skims the surface of my payments.”
Students’ Crimson email accounts stay open after graduation By Judah Martin Contributing Writer Life goes on for the crimson email address after a student leaves The University of Alabama, but not for its myBama counterpart. Since 2008, all UA applicants have been required to set up a myBama account upon entry to the University, but according to Brittney Pruitt, student consultant for the UA Office of Information Technology, students are not allowed to keep the profile forever. Students
have the option to keep their university email indefinitely, but their myBama student account is terminated soon after they leave. “It all just depends on when you graduate,” Pruitt said. “If you graduate in the fall then your myBama account is deactivated by the summer. Likewise, if you graduate after the spring semester your myBama account will be deactivated by the fall. You can always use your crimson email, though.” Patricia Benton, operations
manager for OIT, said each student is assigned a universitybranded domain name through Google Apps for Education, and anyone who has been enrolled for even one course at the Capstone receives a crimson account and username. “The crimson mail is hosted by Google, so it’s just like a gmail account and we can’t actually access what’s in the inbox, only the students can,” Benton said. “Of course faculty members don’t get a crimson email, just the students, and once they leave they can keep
it, so I wouldn’t be able to say how many accounts are out there now.” Christina Steward, who graduated in December 2012 with a public relations degree, said it has been convenient to use her crimson email address, but UA President Judy Bonner doesn’t seem to have been updated that she’s no longer enrolled. “I’m still using [my crimson email address], and I still get the updates from President Bonner, the communication college and such,” Steward said. “I plan on getting a gmail
account soon, but I use it for convenience. My friends and family know that email address, and it is the one on my résumé.” Michael Lynn Santa Cruz left the Capstone a semester before graduating and said she only gives thought to her crimson email address when prompted to. “I still use it when something asks me for an email address, but I never log in to check it,” Santa Cruz said. “I think it just looks a little more prestigious to have ‘@crimson. ua.edu’ after your name than
‘@yahoo.com.’” Cassie Feres graduated in May 2012 and said she continues to use her crimson email address as a way of expressing pride in her school, except when applying for a job. “I still use it ‘cause UA is awesome, that’s why,” Feres said. “If I’m sending a resume I use my other gmail account, though. It seems immature to still use a student address for résumés. I think if [employers] see student emails they’ll think that person doesn’t have the experience they want.”
NEWS OPINION CULTURE SPORTS
OPINIONS
Page 4 Editor | John Brinkerhoff letters@cw.ua.edu Thursday, February 21, 2013
TOPIC: SMOKING BAN
Students discuss points against, merits of smoking ban at University of Alabama By John Brinkerhoff Opinion Editor Last week, the SGA Senate soundly rejected a resolution supporting a campuswide tobacco ban, sending a strong message to the administration against such measures. This message was belied by the Faculty Senate, which passed a resolution in strong support of the ban. The proposal itself is quite simple: The University of Alabama should ban the use of all tobacco products from all locations on campus, including greek and residential areas. The debate surrounding it,
however, is as complex as it is controversial. It pits the freedom of students, faculty and staff to make their own decisions against their own health. It brings into question the true role of the University’s administration in shaping the collegiate experience of students and the work environment of employees, particularly when it requires students without vehicles to live on campus. The decision to not only ban smoking but also include all tobacco products indicates that the ban’s proponents are intent on more than just stopping secondhand smoke and
other public nuisances. Rather, by banning chewing tobacco and other instruments that do not affect others, it seems ban proponents are seeking to look after the health of the tobaccousers themselves, raising more questions as to what extent the University should regulate health. Other universities have taken varying approaches. Some have left the choice to use tobacco to each individual, while others have completely banned its use. Still others have found middle ground by creating tobacco zones or limiting tobacco use to residential areas on campus.
The jury is still out for all of these methods. Each has been met with its own issues, from enforcement and penalty problems to secondhand smoke and campus aesthetics. The solution is not entirely clear. Which approach would work best on The University of Alabama’s campus? What is fair to both tobacco users and non-smokers? If the University decides to regulate the health of its students and faculty, then how will the University’s strong greek system and vibrant living learning communities respond to this ban? These questions are not easily answered.
SMOKING BAN
SMOKING BAN
Administrators banning use of tobacco only would be self-serving, ineffective
Go-to arguments lack substance as soon as ‘personal choice’ puts others students at risk
By John Speer Senior Staff Columnist
By Zack McMillian Guest Columnist
There are rumblings amidst the University’s administration concerning what action will be taken on tobacco products, and at their request, the SGA moved to consider – and wisely rejected a resolution – in support of a ban of on-campus smoking. This begs the question, is it our responsibility as individuals to monitor our behavior, or is it the burden of the society in which we live? At present, our fine university only requests that we stay 30 feet from the entrances to buildings. I question whether the University has more important things to do. The administration has much to do with the selection of important auxiliary services, such as Bama Dining. Unfortunately, I don’t see many resolutions passing the SGA senate or hear the administration requesting that Bama Dining provide more edible and affordable food options for our students. No, they want to ban smoking. At the behest of organizations such as the American Cancer Society and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, advocates of bans claim there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke and that bans create a social norm that encourages users to quit and increases the health of our society. Sadly, it is not the responsibility of our government to establish social norms beyond paying your taxes and obeying the law, and organizations cannot interfere with my rights to engage in legal behavior. Additionally, the science they use behind the
John Speer
unhealthy behavior, but I am obliged to ask you to consider the logical end of your ban. Many of the campuses which have enacted bans on smoking have little success at restricting the activity, and the only penalty they can offer are fines or ridiculous referrals to a disciplinary body. Few students have stopped smoking, and the profit margins of Phillip Morris have not decreased. Yet advocates hail the success of their selfsatisfying and delusional measures to restrict legal behavior. If this cause is championed, we will waste monumental amounts of time and resources enforcing a ban on a behavior that groups have no right to restrict. While I do not condone smoking inside buildings, I am not going to walk up to a stranger outside and ask him to put out his cigarette. We tried restricting behavior by policy and law in the early 1900s; it merely created Al Capone and a thriving illegal alcohol ring. This smoking ban may produce wonderful feelings of goodwill in its advocates, but it is merely an aesthetic success. You will not prevent anyone from smoking or tobacco companies from producing and selling their product. The administration needs to find ways to decrease the cost of tuition, books, and increase access to parking, dining halls and affordable housing. They don’t need to meddle in my legal rights, and they will do so with very little success and almost no ability to enforce their regulations.
secondhand smoke exposure is misleading. Lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases develop at advancing ages. Calculating the risk of those diseases posed by secondhand smoke requires knowing the sum of momentary secondhand smoke doses that nonsmokers have internalized over their lifetimes. Such lifetime summations of instant doses are obviously impossible, because concentrations of secondhand smoke in the air, individual rates of inhalation and metabolic transformations vary from moment to moment, location to location. There is no credible manner to gather this information, and the organizations promoting bans have a political agenda that has little to do with your health. Furthermore, we must consider the absurdity of kicking someone out of outside. To support such an affront, I would like to see a study which examines how much smoke exposure, in open space, causes significant levels of cancer. We already have exhaust from cars, factories, coal and other pollutants of human actions. I highly doubt a test of the air will reveal smoking releases more pollutants than these already toxic fumes, which we make very little effort to monitor or John Speer is a graduate sturestrict. dent in secondary education. Detractors will argue that His column runs weekly. I am supporting and enabling
“It’s a personal choice” – the phrase that is so quickly adopted by the affected party whenever personal rights and freedoms appear to be in danger. It is this same outcry by the same population of smokers that is fallen back upon each time an amendment to the current smoking policy is hinted at. It has been beat into the head of every citizen in this country that smoking cigarettes is bad for your health. After all, over 443,000 deaths each year (17.6 percent of total deaths, according to the CDC) are attributed to smoking, so surely all smokers at this stage are aware of what they are getting into. The focus of this article, then, is not to warn current smokers of the rampant harm they are causing their bodies, but instead to represent the interests of those who inadvertently suffer from smokers’ actions. How often is it that you find yourself walking down the sidewalk behind an individual smoking a cigarette on your way to class? Or entering into a building, waiting at a bus stop, or enjoying lunch in the Ferg plaza within a close radius of a lit cigarette? These situations are often discarded as mere annoyances in your day, simply an unpleasant odor emitted by a fellow student who is just trying to satiate a craving. If only it were so insignificant in reality. Of the smoking deaths stated above, some 49,000 are attributed to secondhand smoke exposure. Over 11 percent of smoking deaths are incurred by individuals who have never smoked a day in their lives. Five times as many Americans die due to secondhand smoke than drunk
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On your way to class, take a few minutes to look not at your phone, but at the ground and count the number of cigarette butts you encounter.
containers. The result is an eyesore to the campus image, and a blight to the physical properties of the University that our groundskeeping crew work so hard to maintain. It is difficult to fully comprehend the magnitude of this litter problem, so I implore you to do some personal investigating. On your way to class, take a few minutes to look not at your phone, but at the ground and count the number of cigarette butts you encounter. If you wake up today in an especially brave mood, begin counting as you cross in front of B.B. Comer through the Crimson Promenade. The number you count may astound you. The most compelling argument, however, may not come from health facts or littered lawns, but from our football-stunted neighbor to the southeast. Auburn University will eliminate all smoking on their campus come August. That’s right, Auburn’s campus has progressed beyond that of our own in terms of health and wellness. And they are not alone. In fact, seven of the members of the SEC will be smoke-free by August, with another two currently considering such a change. It is up to the students of this University to make a change. While I am sure smokers are not malignant in their intentions, the fact stands that they are still harming other students who want nothing of it. You have the choice to strike that lighter and inhale from a cigarette, but the student standing next to you has no choice when he involuntarily inhales your fumes, and must suffer because of it.
driving incidents. According to this data, 2 percent of the overall population will die from secondhand smoke if the current trend remains. To put this into perspective, statistically 672 of the students currently enrolled at the University will ultimately perish due to exposure to smoke caused by other individuals. These are best friends, roommates, and professors that are put at risk everyday due to an inadequate policy here at the University. But enough about the numbers – those are too scientific, too concrete. What of the physical impact that the act of smoking has on our campus everyday? When disposing of normal waste such as bottles, wrappings and newspapers, the proper procedure is to place it into an appropriate trash/recycling receptacle. To heedlessly throw it on the ground would be blatantly disrespectful not only to the wonderful staff employed at the University, but also to the fellow students who you share the grounds with. Why, then, is it socially acceptable to flick discarded non-biodegradable cigarette butts onto the sidewalk, into the bushes, or among the grass of the Quad? There are numerous ashtrays around Zack McMillian is a sophocampus, but most seem to more majoring in managesimply ignore these sanitation ment information systems.
ARRESTS
Events of last week leave students wondering if handcuffs are the University’s latest, greatest fashion accessory By Elizabeth Lowder Guest Columnist
New York Fashion Week has finally come to a close, and I saw plenty of hot accessories. Despite the growing trend in Tuscaloosa, handcuffs were not on the list. Last week’s major “facepalm” incident with the football players was embarrassing not only to our athletic program, but also to the University as a whole. There is no logical excuse for one student to harass or beat up another student, cause a concussion, then rob him of his belongings. It is complete-
ly unacceptable. Additionally, one of the players stole another student’s ACT card to get snacks out of the vending machine. Snacks. Personally, I’d like to know what kind of snack he chose: sweet and chocolatey for a pack of M&M’s or the delciousness of Cheetos. Either way, he made a poor decision. Four student-athletes ended up in handcuffs that day as a result of these absurd choices. Let’s take a look at the shenanigans of this week: 63 of the 74 people arrested in the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force raid were UA students.
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When I first saw news break of this on Twitter, I thought it was a joke or, at the very least, a ridiculous rumor. I had friends and family texting me from California to New York City asking what was going on because they had seen or heard stories about the massive drug raid on campus. I can’t believe the utter stupidity of my fellow classmates who were whisked away in the sea of flashing blue lights on campus early Tuesday morning. A majority of the infractions directly involved marijuana, which is currently an illegal drug in most of the
United States. Sure, college is a time for new experiences and unique opportunities, but keeping illegal drugs in your dorm room is a terrible, terrible idea. Sneaking alcohol in your backpack past the RA’s in the dorm is a risky move, but it’s also against the rules. These couple hundred words won’t entirely change your mind about hiding your vodka in a water bottle in the mini-fridge, but at least consider the options. Students should be mindful that being a student at The University of Alabama is a privilege, and it means abiding to rules that we all signed and agreed to
upon enrollment. That’s basic freshman 101 information. It isn’t difficult to play by the University’s rules. Once you’re off campus and you’re renting/ owning property of your own in the Tuscaloosa area, then by all means, play by your own rules. As Judy Bonner said in a campuswide email Tuesday afternoon, “These students represent a small group of UA students.” Unfortunately, these students, paired with the student-athletes of last week’s debacle, are what people following local, statewide and regional current events
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are going to think of when they hear The University of Alabama. Are you, the reader, capable of turning the University’s image around for the better? I’m not encouraging you not to take risks. I encourage you not to make decisions that could ultimately embarrass you, your family and friends, organizations you’re affiliated with and your alma mater. Let’s leave the handcuffs to Christian Grey and keep them out of the Capstone.
Elizabeth Lowder is the assistant community manager of The Crimson White.
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Thursday, February 21, 2013 | Page 5
ABORTION
Alabama House Bill 57 focuses on abortion, filled with lies about women’s health By Nathan James Senior Staff Columnist There are three things that should be known about Alabama House Bill 57. The first is that the bill would make the safety requirements placed on abortion clinics much, much more strict, setting a new precedent for legislative interference in the medical field. Proponents claim this is for the sake of women’s health. The second is that many or all of Alabama’s abortion clinics, unable to comply with these requirements, will be forced to close if HB57 passes. The third is that HB57 is founded on lies.
Nathan James
One lie is that the bill is about women’s health. It is not. As things stand, only 0.3 percent of legal abortions result in complications requiring hospitalization. But when HB57 forces some or all of Alabama’s three abortion clinics out of business, many of the women who would
have received safe abortions legally will have to seek out riskier alternatives. The dangers of these alternatives include mutilation, infertility and death. Another lie is that HB57 is not intended to prevent abortions. It absolutely, unequivocally is. Rep. Mary Sue McClurkin, the bill’s sponsor, began a written statement to the press with the words, “Abortions, are, sadly, legal in this country.” State Rep. Kurt Wallace, another proponent of the bill, said it is designed to protect unborn children. And Sen. Shadrack McGill explained his support for the HB57 by explaining why he believes fetuses are people, not why he thinks the bill
HARLEM SHAKE
will protect women. When one looks at these statements and considers how negligible any actual health benefits stemming from HB57 would be, it becomes clear what the true purpose of the bill is. Alabama legislators, pay attention. Abortion is legal for two very important reasons. One is Roe v. Wade, in which the Supreme Court established that abortion is a constitutional right. The other is that the vast majority of Americans favor its legality – only 18 percent believe abortion should be outlawed, according to Gallup. Because America will not support a direct assault on abortion,
Alabama’s House has chosen to come at the issue sideways. Rather than accept defeat, they would twist the law and the will of Americans in order to realize an ultra-conservative political agenda whereby abortion is legal but impossible. Legislators, your job is to represent the interests of your constituency according to the dictates of the Constitution. Your job is not to use loopholes to subvert the constitutional law according to your personal views. Even if you believe abortion is morally wrong, you should oppose this bill. We, as Alabama residents and American
citizens, cannot allow legislators to advance their agendas through deceit. We cannot abide loopholes that lead to unconstitutional laws. And we cannot tolerate people like McGill, McClurkin and Wallace, who violate the principles of a representative government. Pro-lifers can still fight abortion through legitimate means. And supporters of HB57 need to think long and hard about what they’re willing to sacrifice to get rid of abortion.
Nathan James is a sophomore majoring in public relations. His column runs weekly on Thursdays.
CULTURE
Harlem Shake ends with free speech debate Introverts shouldn’t deny themselves their own company By Regan Williams Staff Columnist We have had quite an interesting week with drug busts and the police shutting down the Harlem Shake events. Despite negative pushback, the University’s decision to shut down the latter event was not all bad. These circumstances are the perfect opportunity to open up a conversation about the University’s free speech policy. In doing so, we can move forward as a University. Obviously, free speech is something everyone at the University should care about; it affects all of us. We need to continue the conversation. We can’t let this event happen once and then ignore the issues. We as a campus need to continue in the tracks of the first person to protect our right to free speech. We as students need to stand up for our right
Regan Williams
opportunity to change the way our campus works, and these opportunities do not come often. We need to band together and work to change the system. The administration will listen to us because they want to have an open conversation. We just need to open it. I believe this administration has done an incredible job so far with working and listening to students. They do care; we just need to do our part and open up the conversations. So yes, we need to not only use this moment to create conversations regarding student speech rights on campus, but we should also do so in cooperation with, not in opposition to, the administration. We have a golden opportunity, and it should not be squandered.
to speak. Instead of bemoaning the decision, the student body should use this event to present what we want the grounds policies to be, instead of letting the University decide what the policy is. The conversation sparked by the Harlem Shake event must be kept alive. If we ignore this event, we will hinder free speech movements on campus. As a student body, we need to keep the conversation open, not through rebelling, but simply through dialogue. This is crucial for our University mov- Regan Williams is a junior ing on and being the best that majoring in political science it can be. We have a golden and communication studies.
By Tarif Haque Staff Columnist “I hate it here,” he said to me candidly across the table. I asked him why. “I used to spend hours at home alone. I grew up on a farm. College is tiring.” The conversation was a depressing one. He was an introvert, but no one would ever know. He was well-liked. He had friends. His cynicism toward a formal education was bottled. To an extent, it was required of him. The college experience is catered to extroverts. To be great, we must meet new people and immerse ourselves in all the experiences college has to offer. To this, the introvert says, “Bullsh-t.” On campus, introverts must live under the rule of domineering extroverts. Susan Cain, author of “QUIET: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking,” puts it well: “We live with a value system that I call the Extrovert Ideal — the omnipresent belief that the ideal self is gregarious, alpha, and comfortable in the spotlight.” I’ve seen the symptoms far
Tarif Haque
and wide: introverts living under the Extrovert Ideal to acclimate to life on a socialite campus. Amid the bars, booze, raves and mixers, the introvert gasps for breath, but quietly relents to the demands of their extroverted peers, who wail the line “Stop being so anti-social!” God forbid we spend a Friday night alone. It’s not that introverts are shy or anxious – we just prefer less stimulation. Extroverts do not understand introverts. “They assume that company, especially their own, is always welcome,” Jonathan Rauch said in his popular 2003 essay “Caring for Your Introvert” in The Atlantic. The theories of evolution and relativity were born alone,
by people who preferred being alone. Dr. Suess once said, “You can get help from teachers, but you are going to have to learn a lot by yourself, sitting alone in a room.” We’re persistently told to put ourselves “out there.” It’s the person who never shuts up in class that gets first pick, as the introvert languishes in the back of class. “Research by educational psychology professor Charles Meisgeier found that the majority of teachers believe the ideal student is an extrovert — even though introverts tend to get higher grades, according to psychologist Adrian Furnham,” said Cain in an interview with CNN. Don’t feel bad if you find college exhausting. Don’t deny yourself your own company. Remember the words of Carl Jung: “Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”
Tarif Haque is a sophomore majoring in computer science. His column runs biweekly on Thursdays.
Page 6 | Thursday, February 21, 2013
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Study finds college-aged people most stressed By Colby Leopard Staff Reporter Young adults in America today report being more stressed out than any other age group, according to a recent study. According to the American Psychological Association, on a scale of 1-10 where one means “little or no stress” and 10 means “a great deal of stress,” people ages 18-33 are reporting an average of 5.4. The national average for all age groups is 4.9. Patricia Parmelee, director of the Center for Mental Health and Aging, said 18 to 33-yearolds are reporting higher levels of stress because of the significant lifestyle changes that group of individuals undergoes. “College is a time of a lot of change in one’s life – moving away from home, making new friends, adjusting to a different set of expectations,” Parmelee said. “Change is always stressful: even ‘good’ changes cause us to have to adjust everyday patterns of activities, learn new places and habits, accommodate new challenges.” In addition to life changes, Parmelee said stress is subjective and depends on an individual’s experience. Younger people, including those in the 18-33 age demographic, don’t have as much experience coping with stress as older people, so the younger people will report having greater amounts of stress. Parmelee said another reason 18 to 33-year-olds are
more stressed than other age groups is due to a lack of security in career and finances. With the economy being down and the job market as tough as it is, young adults have more potential stressers. “The economic downturn of 2008 is continuing to reverberate through American society, making the future uncertain for us all,” Parmelee said. “This may be particularly rough for college-aged individuals, because they are just launching their careers.” Dante Altieri, a sophomore majoring in hotel and restaurant management, said he agrees with Parmelee about the uncertainty of the job market as a big reason why young adults are stressed. Concerned about his own future, Altieri said going into the restaurant industry will be very difficult and stressful after college. “Even though I’m just a sophomore, I’m already stressed out about how I am going to find a job after I graduate,” Altieri said. Although Altieri believes finding a job in either the hotel or restaurant industry is harder than most, he said students in other majors are just as stressed as he is. “No matter what you’re studying, you are going to have trouble finding a job after college with the economy we have right now,” Altieri said. “If you aren’t stressed about the job market right now, you should be. Our generation is going to
have a particularly rough time finding stability in life given the current economic and sociopolitical climate.” When it comes to actually dealing with stress, Parmelee said college-age students cope in different ways – some healthy and others unhealthy. Parmelee said the best way to deal with large amounts of stress is to “get your head on straight” and to assume a “can-do attitude.” “It is all about working with your own emotions to stay as positive as possible and look for that silver lining,” Parmelee said. “The worst thing anyone can do is spend time and energy dwelling on the negative aspects of the situation – what psychologists call catastrophizing. That just jacks the stress up further.” Although Parmelee believes the “millennials” are more health-conscious than other generations, such as the Baby Boomers, some college-aged students turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with stress. “One thing some college students do is to self-medicate: use alcohol, drugs or even ‘comfort food’ to soothe their emotions and get away from the problem,” Parmelee said. “A little self-medication isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but too much of this ‘emotion-focused’ coping sets you up to run from problems instead of facing them and dealing with them. That’s a bad habit to form, and it can cause real problems as you move
2013 - 2014 SELECTIONS The UA Student Recruitment Team serves as host to prospective students and student athletes, through resident hall tours, lunches, phone blitzes, informational sessions, gameday activities, etc. Members of this team will provide guidance and offer insight to students and their families regarding campus life, student involvement, athletics, and the enrollment process.
MANDATORY CONVOCATION We will discuss the selction process: Monday, February 25 and Wednesday, February 27 at 8:00 p.m. in Room 159 (Auditorium) of Russel Hall You have the option to attend Monday night OR Wednesday night-you do not have to attend both, but attendance at one IS MANDATORY Failure to attend one of the convocations will result in automatic disqualification of the applicant.
APPLICATION DEADLINE FRIDAY MARCH 1ST AT 5PM 1ST ROUND INTERVIEWS: MARCH 11-15 2ND ROUND INTERVIEWS: MARCH 18-22 For more information and to download the application, please visit:
http://gobama.ua.edu/uastudentrecruitmentteam
through life.” However, James Jones, a UA senior, said college-aged people also have opportunities to cope with stress through creative expression that other generations don’t have.
“I try to find constructive hobbies that can be intriguing and demanding but still enjoyable. Creative outlets like music and writing are great ways to deal with stress,” Jones said. “I feel like we are at an age where
we have more opportunities to have a creative outlet to relieve stress. As you get older, I feel like you will lose the time and ability to find a hobby that can provide an escape from stress.”
Student organization to host 5K to raise scholarship funds By Krystina Pedersen Contributing Writer The Tuscaloosa Dietetic Association and the Student Dietetic Association will host the sixth annual 5k run to kick off national nutrition month. The race is Saturday Feb. 23 at The University of Alabama recreational fields starting at 8 a.m., with registration at 7 a.m. The first 125 registered are eligible to receive a free T-shirt, door prizes and food and nutrition information. Participants will run along Campus Drive up Helen Keller Boulevard. The course is designed to be a quick 5K with a downhill finish. The race is intended to raise money for scholarships and the Good Samaritan Clinic. At the conclusion of the race, three scholarships will be
given to nutrition majors at the Capstone. According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, dietetics is a growing major; as of now it is a leading profession in the front of the health care industry. TDA’s purpose is to promote optimal health and nutrition status of the population through quality dietetic education, research and community service. “It is a dynamic profession because there are countless jobs graduates can have; they can do just about anything,” Amy Parton, race director, said. “They can be anything from food editors to working with children.” Applications for the scholarships are available in the department of human nutrition and hospitality management. The Tuscaloosa Dietetics Association reviews
these applications. They are granted based on need, merit and leadership. “The 5k was thought up by a few runners we want to promote the profession of dietetics,” Parton said. A fee of $20 is required to participate in the race. Checks will be accepted and can be made payable to the TDA Foundation, Inc.
IF YOU GO... • What: TDA 5K Run/ Walk • When: Saturday, Feb. 23 • Where: Registration at UA Recreation Field
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Thursday, February 21, 2013 | Page 7
UA engineering students encouraged to find co-ops By Samuel Yang Contributing Writer
Kayla Sinclair came to campus at 5:30 in the morning to get in line and found 300 people ahead of her. “I didn’t get to sign up until 9:30 or 10, and I was only able to sign up for one,” she said. “The rest were full.” Sinclair, a sophomore majoring in chemical engineering, was signing up for interviews with various companies participating in The University of Alabama’s engineering co-op program. Through the program, she and other selected students would alternate between three semesters of full-time work with an engineering company and full-time study at the University. “You almost can’t get a job without one,” she said. “[Students] are being warned that co-ops and internships are one of the first things on the list to be looked at by employers.” Roy Gregg, UA director of
cooperative education and professional practice program, said many employers expect graduates to have related work experience when applying for full-time professional positions. “Employers want some demonstration of technical skills in a supervised or maybe an unsupervised working environment, and the ability to problem solve or complete tasks while dealing with deadlines and a variety of people,” Gregg said. “This experience should enable better decision-making by a future employee.” He said 319 applicants have submitted as of Feb. 19. “We have seen almost a 30 percent increase over last year in student participation due to several factors: the huge enrollment increase, faculty support and parental awareness of a very competitive job market,” Gregg said. Gregg said the program’s applicants have an average GPA of 3.3, with 28-30 percent attending the University on
some kind of scholarship. The program allows students to accept positions anywhere and anytime and 50 percent of students do not co-op in Alabama. “Thus, many employers provide housing while at work, in addition to the co-op salary: $18 to $20 an hour,” he said. “Many do remain in the Southeast, with a growing number accepting co-op positions throughout the US.” Charles Phillips, a senior majoring in civil engineering, co-oped with Georgia Power from spring 2011 to summer 2012. He remembers arriving to sign up for interviews at 5:30 a.m. and signing up for five companies within an hour and a half. “This year, I worked the interview sign-ups, and the first person in line got there at 2 a.m.,” Phillips said. “People who got there at 4 or 5 a.m. didn’t get seen until 9 a.m.” Phillips said he agrees this increase in interest is tied partially to the increase in the number of students, especial-
ly given the large number of freshmen and sophomores who apply, but he also said he feels the University has done a better job of making information available. “The College of Engineering as a whole has done a better job promoting the co-op program,” Phillips said. “A lot of teachers now allow time for guest speakers to come and talk about their programs.” He said the faculty and college have been more supportive, and that the staff from the co-op office really cares. “They have a great foundation, and now they’re growing and expanding,” Phillips said. “They’re definitely moving in the right direction.” For Phillips, the co-op program is an important way to try out an engineering field. A student’s experience in the program can be an important part of fine-tuning career goals. “It’s more and more important today,” Sinclair said. “I know a guy who co-oped in Houston and is now making
UA Spectrum to host conference for leaders in South’s LGBTQ community
Reel was active in his fraternity
By Jessica Smith Contributing Writer
“He liked to hunt, fish and go out and have a good time,” Josh Fleitas, Reel’s best friend, roommate and fraternity brother, said. Fleitas said his fondest memory of Reel was when Reel wanted to be the first person to tell him happy birthday. “He broke into my room to tell me happy birthday, jumped in my bed and then fell off the end of the bed,” Fleitas said. Reel played football in high school, and he liked to fish on his boat that he kept in Tuscaloosa. Reel was also an active member of Alpha Kappa
The largest LGBTQ conference in the southeast is coming to Tuscaloosa on Saturday, Feb. 23 and Sunday, Feb. 24. Spectrum is hosting the Southeastern LGBTQ Student Leadership Conference, which strives to make a space for students and organizers to share stories and experiences. The conference is a two-day event. There will be speakers during both days. Saturday will be focused on general discussions about LGBTQ issues with an emphasis on liberation in the southeast. Sunday will be focused on leadership in society as a whole.
“Having southeastern specific organizers was really important to us,” Lauren Jacobs, vice president of Spectrum, said. “We didn’t want someone from California coming in to speak for one day when they don’t know what it’s like to live in the South as a LGBTQ person.” Conference attendees are usually college students, but the conference is open to high school students and community organizers. The conference travels each year to help promote activism and spread its message to other colleges in the southeast. Over 50 colleges, high schools and organizations have been invited to attend the conference. More than 200 high school and col-
lege students are expected to attend from all over the southeast. “The first two conferences were held in Tuscaloosa,” Jacobs said. “This is the sixth annual conference and we are excited to be hosting it again.” There is no cost to attend the conference, but registration is available on Spectrum’s website, spectrum.ua.edu. Registration is required in order for Spectrum to make sure everyone is accommodated and any dietary needs are taken care of. The event will take place at Lloyd Hall, and check-in is from 9-10 a.m. For more information email UA Spectrum at spectrum@ua.edu or call (205) 614-3523.
REEL FROM PAGE 1
$85,000 a year at his first job.” Gregg said co-oping is also in the best interest of many employers. “Students spend several ‘internships’ with the same company and, in most cases, the same supervisors. The end result is a trained employee at graduation. On average, 35-40 percent of co-op graduates stay with [one] company. [This eliminates] recruiting and training expenses and the costly high-risk turnover rate of first-year college hires,” Gregg said. “In the meantime, the co-op students are productive members of the organization at a fraction of the cost of fulltime engineers. These companies have programs because it is in their best business interests. They are not just being good guys.” Gregg said co-op education has been in place since 1906, and some employer partnerships have been in place for over 100 years. “It is part of their culture. Their upper management
Lambda fraternity. David Dooley, president of the Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity, said Reel was the light of the room when he walked in. “Every time I saw Doc, he had the biggest smile on his face that would make even the worst days better,” Dooley said. Dooley said Reel was the fraternity jokester. “He always found a way to lighten the mood in the room,” Dooley said. “He often said, ‘don’t sweat the small stuff and it’s all the small stuff.’” Dooley said not only did the fraternity of Alpha Kappa Lambda lose someone special, but the whole University lost a great friend with the death of Doc Reel.
teams are products of their co-op program,” he said. “It is a familiar engineering concept that has become a desired expectation for these kinds of employers. Many employers have caught on and want the same staffing outcomes.” Gregg said the program’s new slogan, “Alabama and Beyond,” reflects the top priority of employer expansion as we continue to strive to assist our growing number of students in becoming the best individuals and most prepared graduates they can be. Sinclair said she hopes the program can continue to make more connections with companies, who need to know they can come to the Capstone and get quality engineers. “Students from the College of Engineering are definitely able to compete,” she said. “We’ll be even more able to compete if there were more co-op opportunities for everyone.” More information about the program can be found at coop. eng.ua.edu.
Public information officer for TPD declines comment RAIDS FROM PAGE 1
“We held a press conference yesterday,” Blankley said. “We’ve done everything we’re going to do media-wise.” When asked about the FBI’s on-going investigation into the task force’s accounting practices and how that would affect the money that was confiscated Tuesday, Blankley again declined to comment. “[The investigation] has nothing to do with what happened yesterday,” he said. Because the investigation into the task force is ongoing, the FBI declined to comment on the status of the investigation, any of its results or any punitive or corrective action taken to keep the task force’s future accounting error-free. “It is the Department of Justice’s policy not to comment on ongoing investigations,” said Paul Daymond, the public information officer for the FBI’s Birmingham field office. “Such is the case here, and I would not be able to offer any comment concerning this matter.”
Page 8 | Thursday, February 21, 2013
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Nursing, DCH to support recent UA graduates Residency program for nurses decreases turnover rate, supports transition in 1st year of employment By Morgan Reames Contributing Writer
A new nursing residency program designed to support nursing graduates’ transition into the job field is being offered by the Capstone College of Nursing in a partnership with DCH Regional Medical Center. “The first year for a new nurse can be challenging,” Yvette Daidone, nurse residency coordinator at DCH, said in an emailed statement. “The transition to the reality of hospital life, acuity of our patients and rapidly changing health care environments make it difficult to adapt.” The program began last fall and is available for nurses who have graduated with a baccalaureate degree. It is affiliated with the University Health System Consortium and American Association of College of Nursing, two
n at i o n a l ly recognized organizations. “The first cohort at DCH Regional Medical Center began with 27 new baccalaureate RN employees in August 2012,” Linda Patterson, Capstone College of Nursing instructor, said. “BSN nurses apply for this supportive program.” In 2010, the Institute of Medicine released a report that focused on the high turnover rates among new nurses during their first year on the job. The report also included the recommendation to provide residency programs to combat these rates. “This program is designed to retain newly employed nurses through structured support and activities in their first year of employment after graduation,” Patterson said. “It is offered by some hospitals to newly employed nurses, not available
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This program is designed to retain newly employed nurses through structured support and activities in their first year of employment after graduation. It is offered by some hospitals to newly employed nurses, not available during education, only after licensure. — Linda Patterson
during education, only after licensure.” The program lasts for one year when the BSN nurses receive hands-on experience at DCH from over 200 experienced nurses, who were trained and recruited to help the new nurses in the program. “Together with a mentor, the residents will meet monthly in small groups to discuss whatever struggles or triumphs they have experienced,” Daidone said. “Content experts will present on a variety of topics designed to improve
leadership skills, critical thinking and patient safety.” Ashley Polk, a junior majoring in nursing, said she thinks the residency program will help graduates adjust. “I think it will be helpful in order to get graduates used to the hospital outside of school and become in dependent,” Polk said. Daidone said there is an overwhelming amount of evidence that the residency programs are effective in making the transition more comfortable for nurses. “Improved outcomes of care, patient safety, clinical
productivity and patient and staff satisfaction are benefits realized by organizations that provide support during that critical first year,” Daidone said. Working in a hospital setting is also helpful for students at The University of Alabama, Polk said. “As a nursing student, I go to various clinical settings and care for many patients,” Polk said. “The tasks I perform depend on the patients and the reasons they’re seeking care. It is really beneficial to care for a variety of patients and experience different aspects of nursing.” According to nursing.ua.edu, after the first three years of the residency program, hospitals experienced a drop in BSN-RN turnover rates. Turnover dropped to a mere 5.6 percent compared to the national average of 27.1 percent.
“Clinicals for nursing students are vitally important,” Polk said. “They allow us to work alongside other medical staff and observe, as well as perform, hands-on activities that educate us on how to be competent nurses.” The residency program includes the use of the Quest Center, a simulation lab where practicing nurses can become familiar with emergency situations, cardiac and respiratory events, and pediatric care. “In nursing at DCH, our vision for the future is to lead the nation in providing excellent patient care while fearlessly embracing the challenges of the future with pride, compassion and commitment,” Daidone said. “We begin by providing the newest members of our health care team the foundation for a successful and satisfying career in nursing.”
Bob Woodward of Washington Post to speak Friday Blackburn Institute, premier leadership organization, hosts symposium with Pulitzer Prize winner By Justin Heck Contributing Writer
Bob Woodward, the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist famous for breaking the Watergate scandal in 1972, will speak on campus Friday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. Woodward, currently the associate editor at the Washington Post, will speak at the Gloria and John L. Blackburn Academic Symposium Lecture in Sellers Auditorium at the Bryant Conference Center. Woodward’s work with Carl
Bernstein on the Watergate the Post’s primary reporter scandal won the 1973 for its Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and aftermath. Mary Lee Caldwell, coordinator of the Blackburn The annual Blackburn Institute Institute, said Woodward’s Winter Symposium serves as a speech will be in conjunction convention for numerous leaders with the Blackburn Institute in Alabama. Friday’s lecture is the Winter Symposium. “The annual Blackburn public portion of the symposium. Institute Winter Symposium serves as a convention — Mary Lee Caldwell for numerous leaders in Alabama,” Caldwell said. “Friday’s lecture is the public Pulitzer Prize for the Post. portion of the symposium.” Additionally, Woodward was Woodward has worked for
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the Washington Post since 1971 and has co-authored or authored 17 national bestsellers. His most recent book, “The Price of Politics,” is based on 18 months of reporting and is an intimate, documented analysis of how President Obama and the highest profile Republican and Democratic leaders in the United States Congress tried to restore the American economy. Woodward will also meet with fellows of the Blackburn Institute. Each year, 25 to 30 Blackburn fellows are selected at the University to
participate in the Blackburn Blackburn Institute.” Initiative, a leadership develThe event is free and open opment organization. Housed to the public. within the Division of Student Affairs at UA, the program is funded through contributions from private donors. In the • What: Bob Woodward words of Blackburn, membership in the Institute is not only Lecture an honor, but a lifetime obligation to becoming a change • When: Friday, Feb. 22 agent in one’s community. “John L. Blackburn believed at 6 p.m. that strategic networking • Where: Sellers through the generations would bring about ethical Auditorium change,” Caldwell said. “That is the purpose and focus of the
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Thursday, February 21, 2013 | Page 9
Fruit flies playing key role in medical research By Ellen Coogan Contributing Writer
diets. “You probably know some people who can eat whatever When working with fruit they want and never gain or flies, assistant biology pro- lose weight, and there are other fessor Laura Reed looks for people who have to be very a genetic mechanism behind careful about their diet,” she metabolic syndrome, which is said. “This indicates that there predictive of type 2 diabetes are differences in the way indiand cardiovascular disease. viduals react to their diet, so I “Basically, what I’m trying to figure out is, if a person gets diabetes, to what extent is the cause of that genetic, and how This could lead to improved treatmuch of that is environmenments or improved preventative tal, such as diet?” Reed said. measures for humans if we can “We’re doing this using fruit understand he mechanism, the flies as a model.” reason why different genotypes Reed said although it may react differently to their diets. not seem like it, fruit flies and humans are evolutionarily — Laura Reed similar. “Fruit flies and humans are actually pretty similar to each other evolutionarily,” she said. “We feed different genotypes was interested in trying to figof fruit flies different diets, so ure out why.” maybe they get a high-fat diet Reed said finding the actual or high-sugar diet, and we can genes that dictate these differanalyze how much of the varia- ences could eventually lead to tion in their disease is because improved medical treatment of their genotype and how pertaining to type 2 diabetes much is because of their diet.” and cardiovascular disease. Reed said the research “If we can find the actual is trying to determine and genes, then we can underexplain the differences in how stand better the mechanism individuals react to different and figure out what are the
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physiological pathways that were being changed with a change in diet in one organism versus another,” she said, “and eventually, probably not with work in my lab, this could lead to improved treatments or improved preventative measures for humans if we can understand the mechanism, the reason why different genotypes react differently to their diets.” Reed said fruit flies make a good model organism due to their similarities to humans, short generation time, size and the abundance of information already discovered about them. For instance, the entire genome sequence has been mapped. UA undergraduates carry out most of the day-to-day tasks on this project, which is funded by a $1.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. “The grant project takes a lot of group effort, and we are always crossing fly lines and separating ‘virgin flies,’” Ashley Gilchrist, a sophomore majoring in biology, said. “We monitor the flies throughout their short life cycles and collect some of the dark pupae (pre-adult phase) to weigh.
CW | Shannon Auvil
Laura Reed, assistant professor of biology, is using fruit flies to study metabolic syndrome. Right now we are working hard to weigh and sort collected pupae.” Reed said she feels it is very important for undergraduates to be able to take an active role in research. “I like working in Laura’s lab for two main reasons,”
Matt Kieffer, a sophomore majoring in biology and French, said. “The first is that the research we are doing as a team has the potential to influence people all over the world. The second is due to the inclusive environment of the lab. We joke in our lab saying
that we are not just the Reed lab, but rather the Reed family. Research is a challenging job, but the environment created by our lab makes research not only fun but also acts as an opportunity to learn and grow as a researcher in a non-hostile, uplifting atmosphere.”
UA dance marathon planning bigger and better event
By Ashley Tripp Staff Reporter
With the 2013 University of Alabama Dance Marathon quickly approaching, organizers are working to increase student and organization involvement with hope to mimic other schools’ DM events, some of which have raised as much as $500,000 to benefit Children’s Miracle Network. Tyler Rigdon, president of UADM, said he was encour-
aged to start Dance Marathon at the Capstone after one of his friends from the University of Florida showed him a highlight video of UF’s Dance Marathon. “Those highlights really opened my eyes to the difference that Dance Marathon can have, especially on a campus with the size, growth and accessibility as UA’s,” Rigdon said. UADM will be on March 9 at the University Recreational Center from noon to 8 p.m.
The philanthropic event benefits the Children’s Hospital of Alabama and the Children’s Miracle Network. The Children’s Miracle Network helps children suffering from various ailments. Registration is $25, which includes a T-shirt and food, as well as participation in the games, activities and dancing. The event celebrates taking a stand against illnesses and diseases and raising money for children. Rigdon said each hour
of UADM is themed, so the activities are going to reflect the theme of the hour. Rigdon said three of these themes, as of now, are National Championship, Harry Potter and Holiday. “National Championship hour is basically a sports hour dedicated to activity games spotlighting UA’s four national championships last year (football, softball, gymnastics, and golf ),” Rigdon said. “Harry Potter hour will involve multiple games, two of them
being Quidditch and Human Chess. As for Holiday hour, we picked the most random assortment of holidays and shaped games around them.” McKenzie Pope, UADM director of corporate relations, said for the last hour last year they had a “Circle of Hope” where one of the families spoke about what it meant to have a day dedicated to the fight their son has faced nearly every day of his life. “I remember standing in tears [last year] because I was so moved by the notion that a bunch of college kids coming together for a cause like this could have such an impact on a family’s life,” Pope said. “It was really great to see first hand the good that comes from an event like dance marathon, and I encourage everyone to come and participate in this year’s event.” Pope said the support Dance Marathon provides for the families is really remarkable. “It’s not just about raising money and awareness; it’s about being a support system for these families,” Pope said. “The DM program means more to them than most of those who participate will ever really be able to understand.” Rigdon said it was inspiring to see the support and participation from UA athletes and surprise guests in last year’s DM. “Jesse Williams, one of our Miracle Children’s favorite athletes, attended the event last year, as well as Carl Engstrom, Ben Eblen and various pageant winners from this area,” Rigdon said. “However, I can guarantee that Big Al will be in attendance for nearly all of the event.” Rigdon said he is looking forward to the evolution of UADM’s event since last year. “We will have 200 to 300 more students attend the event, five to seven more Children’s Miracle Network families in attendance and more sponsors and creative ideas that will shape UADM into an amazing experience,” Rigdon said. Gloria Kelly, UADM vice president of external affairs, said she first heard about Dance Marathon from one of her friends who was the president at Florida State University’s DM. “There are many ideas and things I have learned especially from other schools like FSU, such as sponsorship ideas, who to promote this to and things like that,” Kelly said. “I just want this organization to grow to be a main event everyone at UA looks forward to every year.” For the past two years,
Rigdon said the team has visited Auburn’s Dance Marathon during their event and plan to visit Florida’s this year. “Auburn’s Dance Marathon is very young like ours, but has turned into one of the most successful startup Dance Marathons across the country,” Rigdon said. “We are looking to have an ongoing relationship with them, and hopefully we can create a joint ‘rivalry-fueled’ partnership in the future, similar to Beat Auburn Beat Hunger.” Chris Dawson, current UA law student and advisor to the UADM Overall Team, said he participated in the Dance Marathon at the University of Florida for five years from 2007-2010 and served as the overall director of community events for UF. “I watched DM at UF grow exponentially while I was there, and I was very fortunate to be on the Overall Team in 2010 when we broke the $500,000 mark,” Dawson said. Dawson said DM at UF is more of a movement, or even a way of life, than simply being a once-a-year event. “UF’s success is found in the devotion of the thousands of students who plan, organize, participate, fundraise, and basically live it year-round,” Dawson said. “Literally the day after one Dance Marathon ends, hundreds of UF students begin to work on the fundraising and planning efforts for the next year.” Dawson said his goal is to share his experiences from UF and to help UADM catch on and grow as quickly as possible. “UA Dance Marathon is at a different place in its evolution, but I am very encouraged by the progress I have seen, even in the short time I have been helping out,” Dawson said. Dawson said he wants as many students as possible to be able to participate in DM and know what it feels like to make a true difference in the world. “I believe Alabama has tremendous potential to grow its Dance Marathon into one of the nation’s largest,” Dawson said. “I am very excited to be able to play even the smallest role in helping that become a reality.” For more info and to register, go online to the UADM website uadancemarathon. withtank.com and click the “Register for DM” to create a team. “There is nothing more rewarding than seeing the impact on the families,” Rigdon said. “Watching them hold up the final raised total of the event reminds us that our goals during the year had reached its full potential.”
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SPORTS
Page 10 Editor | Marquavius Burnett crimsonwhitesports@gmail.com Thursday, February 21, 2013
COLUMN
Men’s basketball team deserves same strong attendance as other UA sports By Charlie Potter There are only two home games remaining on the Alabama men’s basketball team’s schedule as March Madness quickly approaches. The Crimson Tide (17-8, 9-3 SEC) will face Auburn on Feb. 26 and Georgia on March 9 to close out the regular season. In terms of its Southeastern Conference record, the Tide possesses an impressive record at home. But home court advantage is something that is foreign to head coach Anthony Grant and company. The team has only experienced an electric crowd in
Coleman Coliseum one time this season: when Kentucky came to Tuscaloosa. But every arena sells out when the Wildcats come to town. Many could say the slump in attendance is due to a dumpy home schedule and arguably so. The Tide played intriguing matchups with Villanova, Cincinnati, Virginia-Commonwealth and Missouri away from home. It is slated to play Florida in Gainesville, Fla., at the beginning of March. But countless poor showings from fans is unacceptable, especially from students. Tickets are free for
st u d e n t s , and i t ’s almost a l ways a televised event. There’s always something entertaining going on during timeouts, and the halftime show could be anything from dogs catching Frisbees to a lady riding a giant unicycle and balancing bowls on her head. Along with the side acts and performances, there’s quality basketball being played on the hardwood. Some of the country’s best players have been on display in the coliseum this season. Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel, South Dakota State’s Nate Wolters and Texas A&M’s Elston Turner are just a few
got back on defense. It’s not quite as loud, but it serves the same purpose as ACDC’s “Hell’s Bells” in Bryant-Denny Stadium on third down. There needs to be more of that. These players deserve a sold-out crowd just like the gymnasts, now more than ever. Alabama’s NCAA tournament chances are hanging in the balance, and it can’t afford to lose another game, especially at home. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi said the Tide is listed as one of the next four teams out of the tournament, with BYU, Southern Mississippi and St. John’s. The first four out are Kentucky,
Indiana State, Maryland and Temple. Villanova, who Alabama defeated in the 2K Sports Classic, is regarded as one of the last four teams to make the dance. Five total games remain for the Tide, as well as the SEC tournament. With Florida’s loss to Missouri on Feb. 19, Alabama controls its own destiny to finish as regular season conference champions and claim the No. 1 seed in the SEC tournament. All it has to do is win all of its five remaining games. Two of these crucial games will be at Coleman Coliseum and so should you.
BASEBALL
Jacob credits Illian with her successes
Tide looks to keep streak going
GYMNASTICS FROM PAGE 1 “Sometimes they had issues we didn’t know how to deal with,” Illian said. “You can either throw your hands up and quit or learn the things you need to help that person get better. That’s what we did. Everything works so well now, and it’s a privilege for me to be here.” Head coach Sarah Patterson noticed the change in Illian’s approach and credits him with a lot of the success the team has had in recent years. “It took him a little while to learn the nature of our sport, but after the first year he had it figured out,” Patterson said. “There are some things you can’t control like injuries, but I really do feel like in a lot of instances we’ve been able to avoid that because the girls are stronger. That’s a credit to Travis.” Five a.m. wake-up calls, jumping in sand pits and hours of weight training and conditioning are what the gymnasts deal with during summer and fall workouts to prepare for the season. Once the competition starts, it’s all about maintenance and continuing to improve, but after intense offseason training, the workouts feel light. “He has so many different things that he brings to us,” Patterson said. “It’s not easy, and the kids have never done this, but when you’re limited to 20 hours a week or sometimes eight hours, you have to get the most out of your practice time.” It’s a constant communication
of them. But regardless of who’s on the court, Alabama has made things interesting for fans to stay enthralled. It seems like every game has come down to the wire, and the players look for a boost from the crowd to rattle the opposing team. With the smallish crowds it has had this season, the Tide has fed off its energy – no matter how weak. Against Kentucky, the Tide and the Wildcats traded punches throughout the game until the final buzzer. Every time Alabama hit a crucial shot, Coleman erupted and remained loud while the Tide
By Marc Torrence Assistant Sports Editor
CW File
Kim Jacobs is now an all-around competitior for the Tide. between Patterson and Illian to ensure each gymnast is getting what they need. “We work really well with Travis monitoring the fatigue factor,” Patterson said. “We monitor when a girl is naturally strong and know she doesn’t need as much as another girl. He works really hard to individualize the training to make each athlete the best they can be.” One gymnast who has seen a lot of improvement from working with Illian is junior Kim Jacob. Jacob has become an all-around standout for the Tide this season, improving every aspect of her routines. Jacob isn’t one of the naturally strong athletes, but Patterson and teammates say her work ethic is second to none. Illian worked with Jacob
on developing her quick twitch muscles and firing faster on the apparatus. Now, Jacob is ranked No. 3 in the nation on the floor exercise, and she has won 10 individual titles and four all-around titles this season. “He knows exactly what we need and is always ready to push us,” Jacob said. “We listen to everything he says and it has paid off, especially for me. I’m a completely different gymnast this year and I owe most of that to Travis.” Patterson echoed those sentiments. “She always had the skills, but she didn’t have the power, and he has helped her gain that power,” Patterson said. “He’s a huge part of our program. He has really honed in and figured out what works for us.”
The University of Alabama baseball team started its season 4-0 this week, but will soon take its show on the road for the first time in 2013. The Crimson Tide will travel to Boca Raton, Fla., this weekend to take on the Florida Atlantic University Owls. “It’s been a good start. We had a good weekend. The young guys have come in and played extremely well, but it’s been an influx as well with our older guys,” head coach Mitch Gaspard said. “The next step now after the four home games is taking this team out on the road.” Florida Atlantic swept Alabama to start the 2012 season. Gaspard said he’s more worried about getting wins on the road than getting revenge. “It’s one of those things you don’t talk about it a whole lot,
but the guys are very aware of the importance of road trips,” Gaspard said. “To do what we want to do, you’ve got to be good on the road and you’ve got to be good everywhere.” The Crimson Tide’s hot start was powered by a group of freshmen hitters that meshed with the lineup much earlier than Gaspard expected. Gaspard said the young players aren’t getting overly confident with the early success. In fact, he thinks it could be good for the team. “They really bring that youthful energy. There’s really no expectations on them right now – they’re just having a hell of a time playing,” he said. “That has spread throughout our team. You can see it.” The one area Gaspard is looking for improvement is the team’s starting pitching. Over the last weekend, no starter went past 4.1 innings. But Tuesday,
starter Taylor Guilbreau got the start and threw five innings in the win, putting pressure on the weekend staff. “Really, I just want to keep my pitch count down. Just make every pitch,” John Keller, who is expected to start Saturday, said. “We have a really good defense, so if I can just keep it low, bottom of the strike zone, get a lot of ground balls for those guys, they’re going to make plays.” Charley Sullivan is expected to start Friday, with Spencer Turnbill taking the mound Sunday to finish the series. “They’re expected to go pitch well,” Gaspard said. “They’ve all been in every arena possible last year. I know how well they’ve pitched leading up to the season. I was not pleased with their starts last weekend. … That’s really what I want to see is those guys step up this weekend in their starts.”
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Thursday, February 21, 2013 | Page 11
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Rodney Cooper scores big in win over Miss. State By Charlie Potter Staff Reporter Sophomore guard Rodney Cooper stepped up and posted a double-double in the Alabama men’s basketball team’s win over Mississippi State Wednesday in Coleman Coliseum. Cooper filled the stat sheet with 20 points, 10 rebounds and three steals. He shot 70 percent from the floor and committed zero turnovers, but Cooper was humble about his big-time performance. “All the credit goes to my teammates,” Cooper said. “They created [plays] for me, and I just tried to make the right plays.” Cooper was only the second Alabama player to record a double-double this season. Sophomore forward Nick Jacobs posted 16 points and 11 rebounds the last time the Tide and Bulldogs met. Head coach Anthony Grant
said Cooper paced the Tide and made big plays when needed. “I thought Rodney did an outstanding job,” Grant said. “I thought he brought the energy and passion that we needed – some big plays, some big rebounds – that allowed us to have a chance to win.” Alabama (18-8, 10-3 SEC) still holds strong to its second-place position in the Southeastern Conference. The Tide controls its destiny and has a shot at claiming the SEC regular season title. Junior guard Trevor Releford contributed 17 points, five assists and five steals. Releford has 175 steals for his career and is now two steals away from becoming the all-time leader in Alabama history. Sophomore guard Trevor Lacey tallied 11 points but fouled out of the game with a technical foul. Freshman guard Retin Obasohan saw
14 minutes and recorded five steals. The team as a whole shot 39.2 percent (20-51) from the field and 20 percent (3-15) from the 3-point line. However, the Tide improved from its recent woes at the free-throw line and knocked down 77.8 percent (21-27) of its attempts. Grant said he was pleased with his team’s performance from the charity stripe. “I thought our guys did a great job of getting to the line and converting free throws,” Grant said. “Compared to the way we shot in our last game, I thought tonight was much better.” Mississippi State coughed up 23 turnovers, and Alabama capitalized on the mistakes with 23 points. Junior guard Jalen Steele led the Bulldogs with 15 points off the bench. Junior forward Colin Borchert posted 14 points and nine rebounds. Grant said he was pleased
with his team’s resolve to win the game, but he preached that a level of consistency must be attained before the Tide can become an elite team. “You look at the better teams across the country, and you see a level of consistency,” Grant said. “They don’t always win, but there’s a consistency in terms of effort, in terms of accountability and those things. If we aspire to be a great team, we’re going to have to do those things. If we want to consider ourselves a team that can be elite, so to speak, or be a team that can play for championships or make deep runs, then you’ve got to develop a level of consistency. You have to do that, individually and as a team. You can’t be up and down.” The Tide will travel to Baton Rouge, La., Saturday to face CW | Shannon Auvi the LSU Tigers. The game will tip off at 12:30 p.m. and will be Rodney Cooper posted a double-double with 20 points and 10 televised on the SEC Network. rebounds in the game against Mississippi State.
HOCKEY
UA Frozen Tide looks to repeat as SECHC champion By Andrew Clare Contributing Writer The Alabama hockey team is set to compete in the SECHC Tournament Feb. 22-24 in Huntsville, Ala., at the Benton H. Wilcoxon Municipal Ice Complex. Alabama will open the SECHC Tournament with a game against the Georgia Bulldogs on Friday. Last season the Frozen Tide captured its first conference tournament championship by defeating the Florida Gators 7-2 in the championship game. “It was pretty awesome
winning last year,” head coach Mike Quenneville said. “It was great to represent The University of Alabama because everybody wants to beat Alabama no matter what sport it is.” The Tide finished this season with a 20-11 record and a 6-2 conference record, finishing second in the West only behind Arkansas. Senior captain Brandon Butler said it took the team a little bit to finally find its groove and get into the swing of things. “First half of the year it took us a little to come together and mesh together,”
Butler said. “Then in the second half we turned it around and have been playing to our potential.” The Frozen Tide defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 7-2 back in December in the two schools’ only meeting of the year. Quenneville said despite having success against Georgia, the team is anticipating a tough game in the tournament. “We have had success against them in the last couple of games,” Quenneville said. “But now it’s tournament time and anything can happen.”
Two factors that will help the team’s chance of repeating as SECHC champs are strong play by the goaltender and for the team to stick to the game plan. “We are going to need some good goal tending from our goalie Sean Vinson,” Butler said. “As well as play our systems right. If we play our systems right we will come away with some victories.” Like the Tide, one of the factors to Georgia’s game is its goaltender. “They have a really good goalie,” Butler said. “If their goalie shows up to play it will be a tough
game.” A big key that has helped prepare the Tide all season for the SEC tournament and the national championship has been its strength of schedule. Alabama has competed with teams all across the country including a game against The University of Alabama-Huntsville the South’s only Division 1 hockey team. “Our schedule had us playing a lot of the top teams around the country,” Quenneville said. “Playing this type of schedule has really given us an advantage
when it comes down to big games because we know what it takes and we have been there and down that.” The Tide is coming off a strong showing at the regional tournament. Quenneville said the Tide hopes to play the SECHC tournament the way they did at regionals in order to have a good chance to repeat as conference champs. “We have to play like we did in the regional tournament,” Quenneville said. “Everyone is going to have to be on the same page and if we do that we will win some hockey games.”
Page 12 | Thursday, February 21, 2013
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MEN’S TENNIS
Men’s tennis team looks to SEC play in March Crimson Tide will host Furman, Southern Mississippi Feb. 23 following losses to Clemson, Samford By Andrew Clare Contributing Writer
Besides getting valuable experience, Alabama is improving by working hard. Last sea• What: Men’s tennis vs. Furman Paladins, Southern son’s top player, now a volunteer assistant, Rickey Doverspike Mississippi Golden Eagles said the team improves every day and has a good mindset. • Where: Roberta Alison Baumgardner Tennis Facility “The team works really hard,â€? Doverspike said. “Everyone • When: Feb. 23 at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. is really fit, and everyone is really motivated. We need to keep those three things up and experience. Everyone fought and learn from. continue to work.â€? hard and played hard.â€? “The learning experience was Furman comes into the match Head coach George Husack good for us because we were with a record of 2-4 and the said from the Clemson match, able to play outside,â€? Husack Golden Eagles enter at 7-3. The there were things to build on said. Tide comes into the two match-
es at 7-3 and is looking to get back in the win column after losing its last two matches against Clemson and Samford. “I think we need to get back on it,� Barnard said. “We’ve lost twice in a row, so we need to come out with a ton of confidence and try to get two wins.� The doubleheader will be the final two matches Alabama plays before opening conference play against Ole Miss at home on March 1. “We are definitely looking forward for conference play to start,� Barnard said. “That
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The Alabama men’s tennis team will host a doubleheader against the Furman Paladins at 10 a.m. and the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at 3 p.m. Feb. 23. The Crimson Tide will be looking to bounce back after a tough 5-2 loss against the Clemson Tigers. “It was tough. It was our first time playing outside in a while,� senior Harris Barnard said. “It was different getting used to it, but it was a good
is essentially when the real business starts.� Alabama will be playing in its fourth doubleheader of the year. Husack said another doubleheader will be this tough test for the team, and its members need to be ready to play. “It will be another challenging day for everyone,� Husack said. “We need to respond. We are back at home, so it’s nice to be back here. Hopefully, we will play outside and get more experience, but I really expect us to compete as hard as we possibly can.�
SOFTBALL
Team prepares for home tournament after tough win Softball team will host Easton Bama Bash Feb. 21, looks to extend home tournament winning streak By Alexis Paine Staff Reporter
game against the Blazers and into the weekend tournament. “Eliminate the walks, and The University of Alabama it’d be a shutout,� Murphy softball team will play its first said. “Just get ahead of home game of the season Feb. 21 as it hosts the Easton Bama Bash presented by Drash. Last weekend, we struggled a The Crimson Tide will step little bit, but just keep being onto the Rhoads Stadium field consistent, getting better, having in its third tournament of the better at-bats, making the plays year with a perfect record on defense and all that. after 11 games on the road. The Tide played its first — Kaila Hunt game in Alabama against the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers at the UAB softball field. Alabama batters. [Jackie Traina] had defeated UAB despite a Blazer a lot of kids at 1-2, and then grand slam in the fourth it got to full count, and she inning. The Tide went on to missed a couple times. If she win the game 8-4. gets ahead of them, she needs The team is ready to finally to finish them off.� play for a Tuscaloosa home Sophomore pitcher Jackie crowd in what will hopefully Traina, who has six wins this be a five-game tournament, season, said the team will said head coach Patrick transition with practice and Murphy. training for the best teams as The head coach said there the Tide moves from the game are improvements that need against the Blazers into the to be made defensively as the Bama Bash. team moves past Tuesday’s The team will continue to
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work on its offense, as consistency is one aspect of the game the Tide will try to improve as it enters the weekend. Although the Tide was able to collect two home runs during the game against UAB, both Murphy and junior Kaila Hunt said the team needs to work on its batting efficiency. “Obviously, our bats struggled somewhat,� Hunt said. “Last weekend, we struggled a little bit, but just keep being consistent, getting better, having better at-bats, making the plays on defense and all that.� The team has not lost a game at home in a
IF YOU GO... • What: Bama Bash softball tournament • When: Feb. 22-24 • Where: Rhoads Stadium
tournament since 2010 against the University of Michigan on March 6. Since then, the Tide has won 23 games in a row during home tournaments. The Tide is set to play its first game of the tournament
against Western Illinois at 4 p.m. Friday, followed by a game against the University of Iowa at 6:30 p.m. The team will then play the University of Iowa at 1:30 p.m. and The University of Western
Illinois at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Winthrop University will be the Tide’s final opponent of the weekend Sunday at 1:30 p.m. A total of 10 games will be played between the four teams.
SPORTS IN BRIEF
Kayla Braud recognized as Senior CLASS Award Candidate CW Staff Alabama outfielder Kayla Braud, from Eugene, Ore., was named one of 30 NCAA softball student-athletes who excel both on and off the field as candidates for the 2013 Senior CLASS Award in collegiate softball on Wednesday. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. The
complete list of candidates follows this release. An a c r o ny m fo r Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. The candidate class will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed
through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one finalist. The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2013 NCAA Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City May 30 through June 5. Alabama will open its home portion of the schedule when it hosts the Easton Bama Bash presented by Drash. Alabama will open tournament play on Friday, Feb. 22, against Western Illinois at 4 p.m.
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WOMEN’S TENNIS
Tide set for top 25 matchup against Texas Tech Women’s tennis team has record of 7-1 after beating Washington Huskies 5-2 in last match on Feb. 15 By Andrew Clare Contributing Writer
CW | Alaina Clark
Alabama women’s tennis will face No. 21 Texas Tech on Friday.
The No. 8 Alabama women’s tennis team is set to host the No. 21 Texas Tech Red Raiders on Feb. 22 at the Roberta Alison Baumgardner Indoor Tennis Facility. This will be the Crimson Tide’s final match before starting SEC play on March 1. Alabama is coming off an impressive showing after beating the Washington Huskies 5-2 in its last match on Feb. 15. “I thought it was a good match,” head coach Jenny Mainz said. “We recovered from indoors and need to get more matches and pressure situations. Overall we did a
good job.” Alabama comes into the match with a record of 7-1. Texas Tech comes into the match at 6-1; its only defeat was a 4-3 loss at the hands of the Baylor Bears. The Tide defeated Baylor 4-3 earlier this month at the ITA Indoor National Championships in Charlottesville, Va. “We are looking forward to playing Texas Tech,” Mainz said. “They are a very good team. They are tenacious and fiery. They are a hard working, competitive team.” One of the keys for Alabama down the road is to build on the success it has had and keep building confidence. “We are just trying to
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We need to do what we’ve been doing by going out there and being prepared to give it all we got. — Natallia Maynetto
continue building forward,” Mainz said. “We want to gain momentum and fine tuning things to get to where we want to be.” One of the factors that has led to a strong start to the season for the Tide has been the chemistry of the team. Each member of the team supports one another and
encourages each other to get better. They play for each other. “We always fight for each other,” freshman Natallia Maynetto said. “We are always there for each other, and that makes a huge difference. It brings out the spirit and we all want to do well for each other. It makes a huge difference and adds to our success.” The plan for the Tide this weekend against the Red Raiders is the same as it has been all year: to keep improving and play its own game. “We really can’t think too much about the result,” Maynetto said. “We need to do what we’ve been doing by going out there and being prepared to
give it all we got. We need to take care of business and keep fighting.” Seven of the eight teams Alabama has faced this year are ranked. The Tide is expecting another tough, competitive match that will help them improve and prepare for conference play. SEC play begins on March 1, and the Tide will travel to face yet another ranked opponent in the Ole Miss Rebels. “We look forward to it being a very good match,” Mainz said. “We will be ready. We are working very hard to prepare and get ourselves ready, and it is the next step in the schedule for us to get ready for league play.”
WOMEN’S GOLF
No. 2 Alabama heads to New Orleans for tournament By Bryan Bergman Contributing writer This weekend, the Crimson Tide women’s golf team will head to English Turn Country Club in New Orleans, La., to participate in its second event of the spring, the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate tournament. No. 2 Alabama started the spring season strong at its first event, winning the Lady Puerto Rico Classic for the fourth
consecutive time. The Tide will not have an easy path to victory in New Orleans, as the 18-team field includes top-ranked USC, No. 3 Duke and No. 5 Florida. However, coach Mic Potter said he doesn’t worry about the other teams on the course. “I have no idea who’s playing,” Potter said. “That’s one of the cornerstones to our approach. We can’t control the opposition. All we can do is play the course to the best
of our abilities.” Potter said the most important aspect of the game in this tournament will be putting. “The key to our success is always how well we putt,” Potter said. “We putted pretty well in Puerto Rico, one of our better putting tournaments over the past five years, and won by thirteen. We need to continue that and hopefully improve on it.” This week’s windy conditions have helped the team
prepare for English Turn, as Potter believes it could face similar weather conditions in New Orleans. “We had a good practice [Monday] because it was 20-25 mile-an-hour winds, which I think we’ll probably see in New Orleans,” Potter said. In another good sign for the team, junior Stephanie Meadow has fully recovered from the stomach virus that dogged her throughout the P.R. Classic, and she returned
to practice on Monday. While Meadow is the current standout player, the team has high expectations for freshman Emma Talley, a two-time U.S. Open qualifier who was the top recruit in the nation. Talley tied for fifth place in Puerto Rico, and her presence gives the team excellent depth. The team has been successful at English Turn recently, finishing fourth in the tournament last season and second
in 2011, when then-freshman Stephanie Meadow won the individual title. Potter said he hopes past success will give his players confidence this weekend. “Most of them have had a positive experience there, and really liked the course,” Potter said. “It’s a really good golf course, and they appreciate that and look forward to the challenge.” The tournament tees off Sunday, Feb. 24.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Crimson Tide trying to reboot itself before taking on Miss. State By Caroline Gazzara Staff Reporter
over the Tide in ranking, coach Wendell Hudson said he is confident that the team can come The University of Alabama out on top. women’s basketball team will “We have to shoot the ball,” travel to Starkville, Miss., Hudson said. “But we’re going to play the Mississippi State to have to play a bit more manUniversity Bulldogs Thursday. to-man coverage in order to After losing to Auburn on Feb. make the baskets.” 17, the Crimson Tide is hoping This matchup will be the 50th to try to turn the season around time the two schools have met. before heading Alabama has the into the SEC better record tournament. when playing [We] just have to play our The Tide, curthe Bulldogs kind of basketball and leave rently 12-13 (2-10 (34-15), but in the mental [problems] out of SEC), endured recent years the it and do what we do best. many strugBulldogs have gles as a team been ruling the — Briana Hutchen after losing to court. This time Auburn. Being around, MSU ranked No. 13 is coming off in the confertwo consecutive ence, Alabama is desperate losses. for another win. The team has “We’re not looking at their had six consecutive conference record,” Hutchen said. “We’re losses. looking at them more just as “I think the best we can do an SEC team. We’re going for right now is to forget about a win, and if we do that then we everything that has happened will do well.” in the past,” forward Briana Alabama’s losing streak is Hutchen said. “[We] just have not hampering the team’s spirto play our kind of basketball it. Even so, the Tide has a lot and leave the mental [prob- of work to do before facing the lems] out of it and do what we Bulldogs. do best.” “They are a pretty big This matchup is fairly even. team,” Hutchen said. “Most Though MSU has a slight lead times when you look at teams
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CW | Jingyu Wan
Alabama women’s basketball looks to build momentum before the upcoming Southeastern Conference tournament. The Tide will face Mississippi State on Thursday. at the bottom of the SEC, you be the pinnacle point in the seaunderestimate them a lot, and son to see where Alabama will be in the conference tournawe can’t do that.” With only four games left ment. If the team wins, it will in the season, Alabama needs be tied with MSU and Auburn. another conference win. If not, the team could fall to No. Hudson is determined to claim 14 behind Ole Miss. The Tide will tip off in another ‘W’ before the season Starkville, Miss., at 7 p.m. is out. “We’re all fighting for positions in the SEC tournament,” Hudson said. “We’re working on ourselves and not worrying about MSU. We need to be efficient.” This upcoming game could
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Creative Campus to host progressive reading Thursday collaboration of 3 poets using ‘multiple voice’ format will engage audience, incorporate music By Courtney Stinson Staff Reporter Creative Campus is breaking away from the traditional poetry reading format with the second installment of Poetry&, a 30-minute reading that will incorporate music, audio and visual elements and audience participation, Thursday at 5 p.m. in Gorgas Library Room 205. Creative Campus executive director Hank Lazer will present work from his book “N18” and new poems through multivoice performance. Rather than a single poet presenting their work to the audience, audience members will also interpret parts of the poem aloud. The multi-voice format is meant to reflect the nature of the poems, which are handwritten shape poems, and demonstrate the different voices that
are interacting on the page. “In this case, the way that the poems are written, hand-written shape writing, they really suggest that there is more than one voice going on. Literally the poems will be performed by many different people,” Lazer said. Lazer will also be joined by UA undergraduate creative writing coordinator Ashley McWaters and undergraduate creative writing student Carlos Estrada. Creative Campus intern and senior Hunter Holt said McWaters’ and Estrada’s work extends the idea of having multiple voices, which is a major idea of the reading. “[We asked] who out there is doing interesting things with poetry,” Holt said. “[McWaters and Estrada] both do interesting things with the lines of the poem. It’s not like you’re reading straight through line by
line. It’s spread out over the “[At Poetry&] you don’t have page, and they do interesting the one designated wise person things with punctuation. I think telling everyone else somethat lends this idea of having thing, which is a lecture or tramultiple voices and thinking ditional reading format,” Lazer about how you said. “Hopefully listen and read what that does a poem and how is make people I think it’s a really different that extends to aware that you your everyday look at the poetexperience having a poem experience.” ry on the page, just emerged within the audiLazer said and you make it ence with this multi-voice the participacome alive.” performance versus looking tory elements In addition to at someone and having them of the reading hearing different read to you. will change the interpretations authorial relaof the poems, -Anna Turkett tionship, giving the audience the audience the will also see the power of interpoems projected pretation they on screens. The have when reading a poem for organizers of Poetry& hope themselves. Lazer compared this will create a more immerpoetry to the ingredients for sive experience by allowing the a meal, saying that if the audi- audience to experience both ence does not cook it, they have visual and auditory elements of nothing to eat. poetry.
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“I think it really shapes the experience of the audience, especially with the reading happening around you instead of to you,” Creative Campus intern and junior Anna Turkett said. “I think it’s a really different experience having a poem just emerged within the audience with this multi-voice performance versus looking at someone and having them read to you.” Naomi Thompson, a senior Creative Campus intern majoring in psychology, echoed Turkett’s statement that Poetry& will engage the audience differently than a more traditional reading format. “It’s definitely more engaging than a traditional poetry reading in that it’s happening around you, not to you,” Thompson said. “You’re not just going to be listening to
someone speak to you for just a few minutes and then you leave. It’s definitely something you’ll be interested in, and you’ll be able to engage with a lot more closely.” Poetry& will also break from the traditional reading format by incorporating music and surprise performances. The reading will conclude with a jazz poetry performance. Turkett said the engaging audio and visual elements will make the reading more accessible to both poetry appreciators and those less familiar with poetry. “I think even if a student doesn’t necessarily think that they like poetry or are resistant to poetry, they’ve just had it in English class and didn’t like it as much, this is a whole different ball game of poetry,” Turkett said. “This isn’t what you would normally think of in a British literature class.”
Graduate student exhibit features paintings, sculptures Works of art to be displayed in Sella-Granata Art Gallery until March 15, reception to be held March 7 By Becky Robinson Staff Reporter The Sella-Granata Art Gallery will be exhibiting the works of two UA graduate students. The exhibit, titled AMALGAM, features artists Darius Hill and Anne Herbert, both MFA students. Hill, a non-traditional student, said he returned to school to complete his master’s degree. “My work has changed a lot during the last 10 years or so, and I feel like a student again,” Hill said. “Everything’s new, and everything’s fresh. It’s kind of like a new beginning.” Hill’s sculptures and
paintings featured in AMALGAM were influenced by his African-American heritage and by his childhood in the 1970s. Much of his art also draws from hairstyles in African-American culture, especially the Afro comb. “I’ve had like every hairstyle a black guy could have,” Hill said. “What I’ve noticed working with the comb motif is if I position it in certain ways, it would turn into a person if I had the comb upright. If I had the comb on it’s side it looked more like a weapon.” One of Hill’s pieces is an 8-foot sculpture of an Afro comb, titled “Funkadelic Relic.” Hill said in a press
release this piece reminded him of a “gothic sculpture from the past.” Hill not only uses AfricanAmerican imagery, but he also borrows from Black History traditions and ideas of African-American artists like Kara Walker. “Specifically, I am drawn to manipulate images and symbols that I associate with the Civil Rights era of the 1950s and 1960s and the Black Power movement of the 1970s and 1980s,” Hill said in his artist statement. “I am very interested in claiming something old to make something new – in the style of rap artists who sample from different musical
genres to create a new sound.” Herbert’s paintings focus more on the experience and process of creating art. She said the process is very “spontaneous and engaging,” much like moments in life. “I chose to go to graduate school in order to spend more time thinking about art and making paintings,” Herbert said. “I knew it was something I wanted to know more about and graduate school is a way to take that time and it increases professionalism as well.” Herbert said she and Hill came up with the title AMALGAM because it symbolizes a mixing of two
different things, much like their work. While Hill works mostly in sculpture, Herbert concentrates on painting. “It’s like an alchemy of sorts,” Herbert said, in reference to the title. Herbert’s paintings are presented on stretched muslin and mylar, the shiny silver material used in heated blankets. “The visual result of the paintings which depict spaces seem to be in transition and speak to the moments in life spent looking or engaging with our environment.” Graduate students in the art department must present an exhibition of their work
as part of their graduation requirements. AMALGAM will show Feb. 22 through March 15 in the Sella-Granata Art Gallery. There will be an open reception on March 7 from 5-7 p.m. in the gallery.
IF YOU GO... • What: AMALGAM • When: Feb. 22 March 15 • Where: Sella-Granata Art Gallery
Page 16 | Thursday, February 21, 2013
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Online brain training may keep minds sharp Websites use exercises based on empirical evidence to help improve abilities such as memory, attention By Amanda Gold Contributing Writer Many people know the importance of exercise in maintaining a healthy, fit body, but not nearly as many people know the importance of cognitive exercise in developing and maintaining an alert, healthy mind. Lumosity.com, a popular online brain training program developed by neuroscientists, is based on in-depth research of neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to change itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. The human brain is constantly rewiring itself and creating new neural pathways with each new experience or novel thought. Philip Gable is a professor of cognitive neuroscience and introduction to psychology class at The University of Alabama. He explains how repetition of cognitive training exercises can help to
strengthen certain areas of the brain based on previous discoveries regarding professional violin players. “What’s been found is that professional string players have a larger area of the brain that controls the left hand because it is repetitively used in controlling minute details,� Gable said. “Based on that info, you would be able to guess that the more those tasks use certain parts of the brain, the stronger they get.� Over 35 million people use the exercises provided on Lumosity.com, and according to The New York Times article “The Brain Trainers,� over one quarter of the program’s current audience consists of students between the ages of 11 and 21. The training activities used by Lumosity were originally used to test mental abilities but were repurposed to be used as cognitive training exercises
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I think they’re really effective. I have problems remembering where I place things like my phone all of the time. It really has helped a lot. — K.D. Bridges
that become more difficult as the user’s abilities increase. These brain exercises are tailored to each subscriber and their individual goals for cognitive development. Students may choose which abilities they want to improve on, such as memory, attention, problem solving, etc., and the program provides them with activities targeted to each area. Students can see their scores for each activity and can continue to work on areas in which they score poorly. K.D. Bridges, a senior majoring in communication studies, has firsthand experience
using Lumosity.com and has directly benefited from the program’s broad range of tailored exercises. “I think they’re really effective. I have problems remembering where I place things like my phone all of the time. It really has helped a lot,� Bridges said. “I play the spatial memory games, and you can see what your scores are so that you can work more on those areas and get faster.� Lumosity’s Education Access Program was created in 2009 to test the effects of cognitive training on students. According to findings from LEAP,
students in the program showed significant improvements in processing speed and problem solving, and the students that played more than 150 games throughout the course of the program improved twice as much as students who played fewer games. Many students like Stephen Kircus, a sophomore majoring in biology, said cognitive training can be very valuable to teens and college students with young, developing minds. “I think the training can be very effective,� Kircus said. “I think it helps you to better recall information and react faster. It helps to create those pathways in your brain that allow you to better process more information.� Gable said he agrees that the impact of cognitive training varies by age, and the exercises will have a greater effect on younger people because the brain of a younger person
changes faster than that of an older person. “The training would have a bigger impact on the younger people over the older because there is more plasticity among the younger people,� Gable said. “For example, kids who have strokes and lose functioning in a part of the brain are much more likely to regain functioning than older folks because the brain is still growing, and that facilitates change.� With the popularity of cognitive training programs on the rise, students and teachers are beginning to place greater emphasis on exercising your brain and enhancing cognitive performance and abilities. As more of these programs are becoming available, individuals are realizing the importance of mental exercise and stimulation in developing and maintaining a healthy mind at all ages.
Nashville-based band set to perform at Green Bar Natural Child, who released ‘Hard in Heaven’ in 2012, bringing bluesy sound to Tuscaloosa for 1st time By Ryan Phillips Contributing Writer Nashville-based band Natural Child will perform at Green Bar Thursday night at 10 p.m., marking the country and blues rock band’s inaugural performance in Tuscaloosa, and the band members said they’re excited to explore the new venue. Natural Child formed four years ago and has recently been in the studio in Nashville, Tenn., working on a new album. The group has also been busy rocking concert venues all over the country. As their following
grows, Natural Child plans to bass, Zach Martin on drums, enter uncharted waters like Seth McMurray on guitar and Tuscaloosa’s Green Bar to vocals, Luke Schneider on the pedal steel guitar and Benny Vivine on piano. When the band all assembled for the first time, its memWe hope people come ready bers discovered they had more to dance. We want Alabama in common than musical taste. to know [Natural Child] is That unity ultimately led to the coming. conception and birth of what is now Natural Child. — Zach Martin “We had been partying together when some of us were living together,� drummer Zach Martin said. “Then spread their musical gospel. we just started playing music The band’s current lineup together.� consists of Wes Traylor on The correlation between
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the members’ funloving nature and their heart-pounding music is apparent in their recorded music but most notably in the group’s live performances. Natural Child’s overall sound may have a refined undertone of the muddy-bottom blues, but the band expects nothing but good times, not only for themselves but also for the fans. “We hope people come ready to dance,� said Martin. “We want Alabama to know [Natural Child] is coming.� Natural Child has already released three full-length albums and an equal number of
shorter EPs. The group’s latest album “Hard in Heaven� was released in September 2012 and was met with praise from the iTunes community. After soaring popularity on the web, online reviewers praised the work put into the band’s latest project. Green Bar is excited to bring the group’s appealing sound and attitude to the venue’s loyal, music-loving patrons. “They’ve been described as sounding like the Rolling Stones,� said Green Bar’s Facebook page, “but Natural Child is just one of those bands that you need to hear for
yourself.� Natural Child will be accompanied by opening acts Holy Youth and GT. The show starts at 10 p.m. Cover will be $5, ages 21 and up. For more information call (205) 752-2060.
IF YOU GO... • What: Natural Child • When: Thursday, Feb. 21, at 10 p.m. • Where: Green Bar
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How to place a classified: For classified line ads visit www.cw.ua.edu and click on the classifieds tab. For classified display ads call (205) 348-7355 or email cwclassmgr@gmail.com for a free consultation. The Crimson White is published four days a week (M, T, W, TH). Each classified line ad must run for a minimum of four days and include no less than 16 words.
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HOUSING CLASSIC 2 STORY house, near campus, 4 bdrms, 2 bths, great kitchen, washer/ dryer, hardwood, central air/ heat, fun deck, private backyard, security system. $1,100. 205-342-2497. Available August 1st. LOFTS TUSCALOOSA AND NORTHPORT 2 bedroom, 1 bath. $1150-$900-$750. Roof-deck 205 657 3900-205 752 9020 CLASSIC 2- STORY HOUSE Available August 1st, near campus, 4 bdrms, 2 bths, great kitchen, washer/ dryer, hardwood, central air/ heat, fun private deck, lrg. backyard, security sys. $134,000 or $1,200. 205-342-2497 205-657-1831 CAMPUS EFFICIENCY APTS. beside Publix. $425/ mo. water included. No pets. 1 year lease and security deposit required. Call (205)752-1277
$BARTENDING$ $300/ day potential, no experience necessary. Training available. (800)965-6520 Ext.214. EARN$1000-$3200 A month to drive our brand new cars with ads. w w w. F r e e C a r P a y. c o m
ANNOUNCEMENTS CLASSIC COMICS AND ALBUMS: large collection of comic books, albums, movie posters, sports memorabilia, DVDs/ CDs, beer signs. In Skyland Antique Mall, 311 Skyland Blvd, and Bama Flea Mall, Birmingham. Details on Facebook. EDITING ASSISTANCE Do you need someone to edit your papers? Contact Trey (205) 310-3308. Rates range from $10/hour for basic spelling and grammar to $30/hour for more detailed changes. My specializations are education, psychology, and history. TUTORING SERVICES If you need help with Math (100121), Accounting, Statistics, or other classes please contact me at 205-292-6131. $25/hour
Sudoku
RATES
Best Commercial Rates:
4-8 days is $.50 per word. 9 plus days is $.35 per word.
Student/Faculty Rates:
$.35 per word. You must register with a Crimson Mail address to get this rate. If you enter your ad under student rate without a Crimson Mail address your charge will be adjusted to regular price.
DEADLINES: Classified line ad deadline is the previous business day by 4:00 p.m.
HOROSCOPES Today’s Birthday (02/21/13). Good news travels fast, with a communications flurry in the summer. Use your network to build a groundswell of action. Research, introspection and study lead to new perspectives. Family and home keep you grounded. Customize your space after summer to suit evolving needs. Play with those you love. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is an 8 -- Your workload is getting more intense, as the excellent work you’ve been doing reflects well on you. Stay in rather than going out. Imaginative relaxation restores ... a good book, film or sunset, or just some time for yourself. Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Access your creative mode, and open the door to endless possibilities. Make quality time for romance. The best things in life are free; they don’t need to be expensive. Get ready to party. Drink plenty of water. Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is a 7 -- A little work now can add more comfort in the long run. Fix a leaky faucet, or finish the household project you’ve been avoiding. Then allow your feet to take you where they want to go. Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Today is a 7 -- There’s much to learn for the next few days, so pay attention. You’re lucky, but don’t push it. Concentrate on what you’re passionate about. Don’t speculate, gamble or go shopping. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is a
7 -- In the middle of the economic turmoil, love finds a way. The trick is to balance romance and finances to keep increasing your net worth, plus that of your community. A rising sea floats all boats. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Nothing can stop you now. Consider what you want to build and how you want to build it, and then edit the plans. Find a better way where you least expect it. Conditions are changing in your favor. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Your imagination will be very active, but it could become overwhelming. Decompress by spending time outdoors or in a quiet space. A meeting conflicts with domestic responsibilities. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is a 9 -- Take on a project that you could do with friends. All work and no play make Scorpio very dull. Sweeten your day with honey or passion. It’s easy to be gullible now. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is an 8 -- Social events take priority. After exploring new territories, consider how to make your work routine more efficient. A little time saved daily is a lot. Share your dreams with someone interesting. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is an 8 -- Step outside of your comfort zone to find a treasure. Surprise yourself with your actions, and then some. Travel conditions are excellent for today and tomorrow. Explore a place you’ve never been. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is an 8 -- Rejuvenate a relationship
Check out
18 Parkview 2 Separate Units 4 beds, 4 baths $600 per bedroom Call John Thetford 205-361-8107
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CW
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Changing Seasons
“SPEAK” The Movie
TANNING: Minutes Special 300 Minute Package $33.00
February 25, 2013 6-8pm
Eye Brow Waxing $12.00
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MONACO BLUE
LINEN
DUSK BLUE
SPRING INTO FASHION
LEMON ZEST
NECTARINE
By Lauren Furguson and Katherine Owen
GRAYED JADE
With New York Fashion Week wrapping up last week, and Birmingham Fashion Week starting this weeke end, spring fashion is in tthe air. Designers such as Tracy Reese, Peter Som and T Rachel Roy from NYFW and R Anthony Ryan, Annie Griffin A and Lauren Leonard from a B Birmingham Fashion week a are bringing new trends to cconsumers. From “linen” n nail polish to “African viollet” scarves to “Monaco blue” sshoes, The Scene is bringing tthe colors from the runways tto o the the sidewalks of campus tthis his w week. e
POPPY RED
TENDER SHOOTS
AFRICAN VIOLET EMERALD
CW | Austin Bigoney and Daniel Roth