02 25 14 by The Crimson White

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 25, 2014 VOLUME 120 ISSUE 92 Serving The University of Alabama since 1894

CULTURE | SEX EDUCATION

The

Alabama Code, culture maintain bare minimum in sex education requirements By Abbey Crain | Culture Editor One of the taboos akin to the South, sex is often spoken of in hushed whispers passed through pursed lips. And for some state schools, sex education is left to the bare minimums found in the state of Alabama’s health curriculum and religious culture. Alabama’s minimum material to be included in public school sex education programs or curricula highlights self-control and abstinence as keys to a healthy sex life – or lack there of – and outlines social expectations. Section 16-40A-2 of the Code of Alabama states “abstinence from sexual intercourse outside of lawful marriage is the expected social standard for unmarried school-age persons.” It further emphasizes the “importance of self-control and ethical conduct pertaining to sexual behavior.” The eighth of the nine total requirements includes “an emphasis, in a factual manner and from a public health perspective, that homosexuality is not a lifestyle acceptable to the general public and that homosexual conduct is a criminal offense under the laws of the state.” Christopher Lynn, professor of The University of Alabama’s Anthropology of Sex course, has taught in schools across the nation,

CW | Austin Bigoney Section 16-40A-2 of the Code of Alabama requires school sex education programs to place emphasis on abstinence and self-control.

SEE EDUCATION PAGE 13

NEWS | CONSTRUCTION

TODAYON CAMPUS International support WHAT: International Spouse Group WHEN: 9:30 a.m. WHERE: 105 B.B. Comer Hall

Center to be demolished for complex Atlanta-based company to build student apartments By Andy McWhorter and Samantha Eastburn | CW Staff

Campus lecture WHAT: Sue Rankin on Queer Theory and Identity Development WHEN: 2 p.m. WHERE: 328 Graves Hall

Student performance WHAT: Student Recital: Sandy Draper, soprano WHEN: 4 p.m. WHERE: Moody Music Building Recital Hall

The last business at the former Central Plaza on the corner of 10th Avenue and 15th Street is closing its doors this week to make way for a five-story, mixed-use apartment complex. Little Caesars, the final business, will have its last day of operation Tuesday. EatMyBeats, an audio supply store formerly located at Central Plaza, recently moved to a new location on Jug Factory Road. The 15th Street Diner closed its doors Dec. 15 after about 24 years of operation in the same location, and the former 10th Avenue Package Store moved in January to a new location on Hackberry Lane, behind the Bama Lanes bowling alley. Bamaland, an Alabama merchandise retailer, closed last week, said

We will still be online, and we are hoping to come back to the same site once the complexes are built. — Chris Vernarsky

Chris Vernarsky, the general manager of Bamaland. According to plans submitted to City Hall by South City Partners, the Atlanta-based development company behind the project, the complex will be called South 10 and will create space for 592 beds. The complex is primarily intended for undergraduate students at The University of Alabama, said Mark Randall, owner of South City Partners. The

complex will also include retail spaces on 10th Avenue, thanks to a recent change in the property’s zoning. While the businesses of Central Plaza are either closed or displaced for now, and the demolition process has already begun, it is possible that some might return once the project is complete. “We are in discussions with a few of them, but [there are] no definitive plans yet,” Randall said. “We’re hopeful that they will decide to come back.” Even though Bamaland is out of business for the moment, Vernarksy, for one, said he hopes that this isn’t the end for the merchandise outlet. “Unfortunately, for now, I think we are going to close,” Vernarsky said. “We will still be online, and we are hoping to come back to the same site once the complexes are built.” SEE BAMALAND PAGE 5

NEWS | CAMPUS MUSEUMS

Museum collections expand

INSIDE

Sports Puzzles Classifieds

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Briefs Opinions Culture

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CONTACT

WHAT: Free Coffee and Doughnuts with SGA WHEN: 8 p.m. WHERE: Rodgers Library

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SGA snack time

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WHAT: Honors College Weekly Coffee Hour WHEN: 7 p.m. WHERE: Ridgecrest South Lobby

The Alabama Museum of Natural History, located in Smith Hall, was built in 1831 and boasts the title of the oldest museum in the state. The museum has produced a variety of exhibits and gathered an abundance of collection material that occassionally makes appearances in the museum’s three galleries that are changed every semester. While current exhibits feature the ancient sea monsters of Alabama, the April 27, 2011, tornado and rocks from around the world, there are also many items at the museum that are not on display. “We have a lot of pieces on loan,” Randy

WEATHER

Coffee hour

By Jacqueline Visina | Contributing Writer

Mecredy, director of the museum, said. “Also, probably less than 0.1 percent of what we have in collection is on display in the museum. Everything else is used for research purposes.” The museum pieces not on display are stored on the third and fourth floors of Mary Harmon Bryant Hall. Completed 10 years ago, the space is temperature- and humidity-controlled to ensure the longevity of the museum collection. Lydia Ellington, museum collections technician, said the museum storage facility holds 12 different collections, which include historic photographs, taxidermy, geology, textiles and more. “Our museum has been collecting since the early 1800s, so we have a very wide CW | Austin Bigoney array of pieces,” she said. Some of the museum’s collections are kept Walking through the many rows of the in storage to ensure the longevity of the SEE HISTORY PAGE 5 pieces.

Materials include taxidermy, photographs, geology, more

recycle thi

WHAT: Defining Myself for Myself: Perceptions of Black Femininity WHEN: 6:30 p.m. WHERE: 205 Gorgas Library

Black History Month

editor@cw.ua.edu

website cw.ua.edu

Tuesday February 25, 2014

CAMPUSBRIEFS SGA campaign period starts The official campaign period for SGA elections began Monday and will continue until polls close at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 11. A meet and greet with SGA Senate candidates and an executive office candidate debate will be held Sunday in 038 Lloyd at 6:30 p.m. The vice presidential candidate debate will be held in the Ferguson Theater on Thursday, March 6, and the presidential candidate debate will be held on Monday, March 10 at a time and location to be announced. Polls will open online via myBama at 7:00 a.m. Tuesday, March 11 and will close at 7:00 p.m.

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SCENEON CAMPUS

Film celebrates heritage month University Programs will host a screening of “The Butler” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday night in 159 Russel Hall. The film about an African-American man who was a butler for eight U.S. presidents will be shown as a celebration of AfricanAmerican Heritage Month. Free snacks will be provided.

HCA position applications open

Lindsey Leonard Kreative Kids, a community service organization, engages in arts and crafts with young students around the Tuscaloosa area.

Applications for the executive board of the Honors College Assembly are due March 3. Any Honors College student is welcome to apply for any of executive positions including president, secretary, treasurer, public relations officer or four vice presidential positions. The application includes two short answer questions. Applicants must be available for a Special Listening Session to be held on Sunday, March 9 at 7:00 pm in Nott Hall if their application is chosen to advance.

TODAY

Honors College hosts service day The Honors College will hold a day of service in Marion, Ala., on March 8. The program is part of the 57 Miles initiative and will include transportation and meals. The project will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Students need to register by Friday.

P.O. Box 870170 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 Newsroom: 348-6144 | Fax: 348-8036 Advertising: 348-7845 Classifieds: 348-7355

WHAT: Sue Rankin on Queer Theory and Identity Development WHEN: 2 p.m. WHERE: 328 Graves Hall WHAT: International Spouse Group WHEN: 9:30-11:30 a.m. WHERE: 105 B.B. Comer Hall WHAT: FYE Meet and Eat WHEN: 12:30-2 p.m. WHERE: 205 Gorgas Library

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

WHAT: Memory Techniques Workshop WHEN: 4 p.m. WHERE: 230 Osband Hall

WHAT: Oral Presentation of Research Undergraduate Workshop WHEN: 6 p.m. WHERE: 324 Lloyd Hall

WHAT: Ladies Night with DJ Proto J WHEN: 4 p.m. WHERE: Rhythm & Brews WHAT: Models and Bottles Party WHEN: 9 p.m. WHERE: 4th and 23rd

WHAT: Movie Series: “The Butler” WHEN: 6:30 p.m. WHERE: 159 Russell Hall

WHAT: Stormy Weather: The Influence of Campus Climate on Building Inclusive Communities WHEN: 6:30 p.m. WHERE: 222 Lloyd Hall

WHAT: African Evolutionary Genomics: Implications for Human Origin and Disease WHEN: 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Biology Building Auditorioumr

EDITORIAL editor-in-chief

Mazie Bryant editor@cw.ua.edu

managing editor

Lauren Ferguson

production editor

Katherine Owen

visuals editor

Mackenzie Brown

news editor

Mark Hammontree

culture editor

Abbey Crain

sports editor

Marc Torrence

opinion editor chief copy editor

John Brinkerhoff Christopher Edmunds

video editor

Daniel Roth

photo editor

Austin Bigoney

lead designer

Sloane Arogeti

community managers

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Tori Hall 251.751.1781 cwadmanager@gmail.com Chloe Ledet 205.886.3512 territorymanager1@gmail.com

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Taylor Shutt 904.504.3306 osmspecialprojects@gmail.com

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Kirsten Morrow 205.873.2190 osmspecialprojects@gmail92.com

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account executives

LUNCH

DINNER

Pepperoni Pizza French Fries Grilled Cheese Sandwich Green Beans and Carrots Vegetable Curry with Jasmine Rice

Chicken and Biscuits Pepperoni Pizza Ginger Honey Glazed Carrots Fruited Bulgar Salad Garden Burger

LUNCH

DINNER

Grilled/Crispy Chicken Tenders Buffalo Chicken Sandwich Glazed Carrots Pepperoni Pizza Four Bean Salad

Chicken Taco Panini Pepperoni Pizza Fresh Zucchini Garden Burger Fresh Vegetable Linguine Alfredo

FRESH FOOD LUNCH

BBQ Chicken Pizza Baked Potato Bar Italian Green Beans Cheese Pizza

Elizabeth Lowder Lauren Robertson

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Anna Waters

online editor

Hillary McDaniel 334.315.6068 Ali Lemmond William Whitlock Kathryn Tanner Camille Dishongh Keenan Madden Julia Kate Mace Katie Schlumper

The Crimson White is the community newspaper of The University of Alabama. The Crimson White is an editorially free newspaper produced by students.The University of Alabama cannot influence editorial decisions and editorial opinions are those of the editorial board and do not represent the official opinions of the University. Advertising offices of The Crimson White are in room 1014, Student Media Building, 414 Campus Drive East. The advertising mailing address is P.O. Box 870170, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487. The Crimson White (USPS 138020) is published four times weekly when classes are in session during Fall and Spring Semester except for the Monday after Spring Break and the Monday after Thanksgiving, and once a week when school is in session for the summer. Marked calendar provided. The Crimson White is provided for free up to three issues. Any other papers are $1.00. The subscription rate for The Crimson White is $125 per year. Checks should be made payable to The University of Alabama and sent to: The Crimson White Subscription Department, P.O. Box 870170, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487. The Crimson White is entered as periodical postage at Tuscaloosa, AL 35401. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Crimson White, P.O. Box 870170, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487. All material contained herein, except advertising or where indicated otherwise, is Copyright © 2014 by The Crimson White and protected under the “Work Made for Hire” and “Periodical Publication” categories of the U.S. copyright laws. Material herein may not be reprinted without the expressed, written permission of The Crimson White.

OPENRECORDS REQUESTS “Every citizen has a right to inspect and take a copy of any public writing of this state, except as otherwise expressly provided by statute.” From statute 36.12.40 of the Code of Alabama

“The term ‘public records’ shall include all written, typed or printed books, papers, letters, documents and maps made or received in pursuance of law by the public officers of the state, counties, municipalities and other subdivisions of government in the transactions of public business and shall also include any record authorized to be made by any law of this state belonging or pertaining to any court of record or any other public record authorized by law or any paper, pleading, exhibit or other writing filed with, in or by any such court, office or officer.” From statute 41.13.1 of the Code of Alabama

WHAT WE REQUESTED: List of applicants considered for vice chancellor of government relations, email correspondence between Judy Bonner and Robert Witt correlated to ‘vice chancellor for government relations’ and ‘Jo Bonner’ between April 1 and July 31, 2013. WHO REQUESTED IT: Lauren Ferguson FROM WHOM WE REQUESTED IT: Kellee Reinhart, vice chancellor for System Relations WHEN WE REQUESTED IT: Feb. 10, 2014 STATUS: Pending WHAT WE REQUESTED: All receipts (airplane ticket and car rental) and travel vouchers for the four members of the executive branch and their advisor who are attending the SEC Exchange at the University of Missouri. Copies of all emails between Jan. 1 and Jan. 15, 2014 addressed to and/or from SGA President Jimmy Taylor, Chief of Staff Brennan Johnson, Vice President of Financial Affairs Chris Willis and/or Program Assistant/Office Manager Carolyn Fulmer containing the words “Missouri” and/or “ticket.” WHO REQUESTED IT: Mackenzie Brown FROM WHOM WE REQUESTED IT: Leela Foley, SGA director of media relations WHEN WE REQUESTED IT: Jan. 15, 2014 STATUS: Filled Jan. 23, 2014

IN THENEWS Study finds bias in Internet postings From MCT Campus YouTube videos and posts on Facebook and Twitter have made scenes from Syria’s civil war accessible to audiences thousands of miles from the conflict. But the version of events disseminated by social media is not a completely accurate picture of the war, according to a report from the congressionally funded U.S. Institute of Peace. After reviewing more than 38 million Twitter posts about the Syrian conflict, a team of Middle East scholars from The George Washington University and American University concluded that rather than an objective account of what’s taken place, social media posts have been carefully curated to represent a specific view of the war. It said the skewing of the social media view of the conflict has been amplified by the way more traditional news outlets make use of the postings – for example, passing along social media posts written in English over those written in Arabic. The analysts studied tweets that mentioned Syria in English or Arabic from the start of 2011 through April 2013. They then analyzed how “traditional” forms of media, such as newspapers, used social media to supplement their

coverage (of the conflict). “Media is still the primary lens by which outside publics witness a country’s internal struggles and also increasingly how people inside a country share information with each other and see things that, in the past, they wouldn’t be able to see,” said Sean Aday, director of the Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication at George Washington University and a co-author of the report. Because journalists were largely unable to get direct access to the events in Syria at the start of the conflict, many relied on “citizen journalism,” or accounts from Syrians who said they’d witnessed events firsthand, often posted on social media, said Marc Lynch, director of George Washington University’s Institute for Middle East Studies and a co-author of the report. The report also looked at the increase in tweets about the Syrian conflict over time, showing that as the uprising continued, tweets in Arabic began to dramatically outpace tweets in English. From January 2011 to June 2011, English-language tweets were most common, but Arabic tweets made up almost 75 percent of all tweets about Syria just a year later.

p.3 Mark Hammontree | Editor newsdesk@cw.ua.edu

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

State gun laws prompt debate CW| File Although it is legal to openly carry a firearm in the state of Alabama, open carry is still illegal on college campuses.

By Emily Williams | Staff Reporter In response to a nu number of shooting incidents o on college campuses in the pa pastt few years, the Counseling C Center, UAPD and the Office of Emergency Preparedness sponsored an active shooter training program Feb. 18. The training, offered through the department of human resources, was a response to faculty and staff inquiries about how to properly handle an active shooter situation on campus. It included a video of a simulated

e m e r g e n c y response. Although the event was for faculty and staff, UAPD’s Community Oriented Police officers also offer training and awareness programs in residence halls and to student organizations on request. The active shooter training program speaks to a larger debate about the right to carry guns on campus. Under current University policy, students are not allowed to possess or carry guns on campus. Following the passing of Senate Bill 286 last fall, which expanded the rights of citizens to openly carry firearms in the state of Alabama, a debate about the right to carry guns has been brewing on campus. SB 286 loosened regulations for possession of firearms, specifically allowing gun owners with permits to store guns in their cars. In addition, it imposes fines on law enforcement officials who attempt to stop legal gun owners from openly carrying their firearms. According to the law, carrying a visible, holstered firearm in a public place does not constitute the crime of disorderly conduct. Seventeen states, including Alabama, currently allow for the open carry of firearms in public. Open carry is still illegal on college campuses – an issue that is dividing student opinion. “It’s an important debate to have, because you have your civil liberties up against your safety,” Steven Sebastian, member of the UA College Democrats, said. “In general, we

would be against open carry on university with my handgun.” campus. You can’t rent a car if you’re Andrew Parks, president of the UA not [older than] 25, and they’re say- chapter of Young Conservatives of ing they want these people to have America, said he is in favor of backguns? It’s just a bad idea. On a col- ground checks for those applying for lege campus, it’s just so dangerous. It concealed carry permits. Parks said really has no place here.” safety is the number one benefit of a According to UAPD, no one on concealed carry policy. campus, including students, faculty, “There is sort of a discouraging staff and visitors, may use, possess effect that comes with concealed or transport firearms while on the carry in that people are less likely to premises. In addition, UAPD does not commit a crime against you if they issue permits for the carry of fire- know you’re armed,” Parks said. “It’s arms. Students who legally possess certainly magnified with open carry, firearms may, howevbecause then it goes er, temporarily store from a covert to an them with UAPD. overt thing. By the With the recent same token, there’s incidents of mass also a bit of appreshootings on colhension whenever lege campuses at the carry of firethe centerpiece of arms comes into this debate, some play, with people student groups supwho feel concerned port concealed carry. that other people Concealed carry may have weap— Steven Sebastian allows people who ons on them, and I are legally in posseswould imagine that sion of a firearm and would be magnified obtained a concealed for people who are carry permit to have the weapon out carrying openly as opposed to peoof sight on their person at any time. ple who are carrying in a concealed Kenny Caldwell of Students for fashion.” Concealed Carry said the University’s Sebastian argued that allowing policy should change to reflect the guns in classrooms increases the new state laws. chances of violence rather than dis“We support concealed carry couraging it. He said just because because we believe your right to self- other colleges allow for either condefense does not end just because cealed or open carry does not mean you happen to cross a line onto a it should be implemented at the campus,” Caldwell said. “Most mass University. shootings happen in gun-free zones, “It really comes down to local comand if I have a permit to concealed munities, I believe, and states taking a carry, there should be nothing that common–sense approach,” Sebastian prohibits me from being at a public said. “Every community is different.”

It’s an important debate to have, because you have your civil liberties up against your safety.

p.4 John Brinkerhoff | Editor letters@cw.ua.edu

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

COLUMN | LGBTQ

Realities dictate athlete orientation is important to us By Noah Cannon | Staff Columnist

MCT Campus

COLUMN | STATE LEGISLATURE

Sen. Allen’s bill redundant, ineffective By Henry Downes | Staff Columnist Election-year pandering by state politicians is not usually newsworthy, but a recent effort to “reinforce” religious freedoms in Alabama schools by state Sen. Gerald Allen (R-Tuscaloosa) is so hopelessly convoluted that it has made waves across the country. According to the text of SB18 (which was passed by the state Senate Feb. 13 and is now being reviewed by the House Education Committee), the Winter Celebrations Act, would “allow each school district to educate students about the history of traditional winter celebrations and allow students and district staff to offer traditional greetings regarding the celebrations.” If SB18 does what Allen says it will do, then the bill is, by definition, redundant and ineffectual as a public policy because the right to religious expression in schools is already guaranteed under the Supreme Court’s existing interpretation of the First Amendment. So long as there isn’t more emphasis placed on one religion over another, holiday greetings may be exchanged freely, and students may learn about winter celebrations. Eric Mackey, the executive director of School Superintendents of Alabama, has denied that any necessary context exists for the passage of such a law in the first place, noting that superintendents across the state haven’t reported any problems in the past. “I don’t think it is needed,” he said. Even the Alabama Citizens’ Action Program, a biblical fundamentalist lobbying group that supported the legislation, has conceded that the bill will not produce any substantive legal effect: “We know that students already have the right [to express their religious views], but this reinforces that right.” Are we expected to believe that by simply overlaying the First Amendment with superfluous legislation, Sen. Allen’s bill will

Henry Downes somehow reinforce, in new and meaningful ways, rights that are already guaranteed in the Constitution and confirmed by judicial precedent? Isn’t it more likely that Allen’s bill does not aim to expand our religious freedoms at all, but rather seeks to circumscribe them? This more malignant interpretation of the bill stems from the repeated use of the word, “traditional,” which appears 10 times in Sen. Allen’s two-page document. What exactly does “traditional” mean? Based on the text and history of the bill, it means, exclusively, those religious beliefs predicated on a Judeo-Christian worldview. “Merry Christmas,” “Happy Hanukkah” and “Happy Holidays” are the only greetings mentioned specifically within the text of the bill, and when Sen. Quinton Ross (D-Montgomery) attempted to add celebrations like Kwanzaa and Hindu and Muslim observances to its purview, the Senate blocked him on a voice vote. Read in this sense, SB18 seems less like a genuine endorsement of religious freedoms in Alabama schools and more like a poorly disguised effort to protect the conservative

Judeo-Christian order by pushing back on an increasingly diverse cultural and religious landscape. In its true effect, SB18 may well represent a step toward codifying Christianity as the educational religion of the state. By limiting the extension of religious freedoms to only those “traditional faiths” and subsequently formulating a definitive list of which faiths qualify as “traditional,” SB18 promotes a culture of religious exclusion and systematically demeans adherents of “nontraditional” faiths. The very absence of “nontraditional” faiths within the language and passage of the bill is a silence that deafens. I usually wouldn’t waste time attacking such a blatant election-year gimmick by the Evangelical Right. But in a legislative session brimming over with issues that demand serious attention, Sen. Allen is not working on prison reform or education reform or government transparency reform or any other kind of reform which this state desperately needs to continue moving forward. Sen. Allen, an elected representative of Tuscaloosa County, is spending valuable time and taxpayer dollars to write SB18, presumably to make sure teachers aren’t confused as to whether or not they can say “Merry Christmas” during the holidays. Citizens in Tuscaloosa County and throughout the state of Alabama deserve better. They deserve better than a senator who prioritizes theocratic agenda over real and urgent policy problems and makes private religious choice a commodity for public consumption. They deserve better than a “Winter Celebrations” bill that is redundant at best and is a veiled affront to the separation of church and state at worst. They deserve better than Sen. Gerald Allen. Henry Downes is a junior majoring in economics and political science. His column runs biweekly.

The landscape of LGBTQ athletes in professional sports in the United States is changing with what seems like an increasingly rapid pace. Gay-identified basketball player Jason Collins and gay-identified football player Michael Sam are both expected to become the first openly LGBTQ active players in the NBA and NFL, respectively, and both have become frequent topics of conversation in the greater LGBTQ liberation movement. In a story that ran in yesterday’s issue of The Crimson White titled “First openly gay athletes should be judged on performance,” columnist Matthew Wilson opined that while Collins and Sam both represent steps forward in the struggle for equality, the LGBTQ identity of athletes ultimately “shouldn’t matter.” Wilson instead argued that athletic ability should be the primary indicator of a player’s merit. While this view has noble enough intentions, I am wary of language used to discuss athletes like Collins and Sam that emphasizes propriety instead of reality. Should Sam’s being gay matter? In a perfect world, no. Sam’s gay identity itself will not improve his team’s performance on the field per se. But what about off the field? Sam’s gay identity doesn’t exist in a vacuum. His announcement carries the weight it does because it was made in a world where LGBTQ people are silenced, otherized and oppressed by a non-LGBTQ predominance. When we devote time to talking about what “should” be, we run the risk of derailing conversations about what actually is. LGBTQ discrimination is still very much a reality, and that context cannot be separated from the experiences of Sam or Collins. It is important to consider the significance of figures like Sam and Collins in the Young LGBTQ football players may fight for LGBTQ soon have an openly LGBTQ player representation to model themselves after, and that and visibility. In simple fact alone is enough to matter. her 1995 article “Queer Visibility in Commodity Culture,” feminist scholar Rosemary Hennessy wrote that LGBTQ images in mainstream media “can be empowering for those of us who have lived most of our lives with no validation at all from the dominant culture.” While an athlete’s gay identity may not be a big deal for some, it is a very big deal for LGBTQ people who look to people like Sam for empowerment. Young LGBTQ football players may soon have an openly LGBTQ player to model themselves after, and that simple fact alone is enough to matter. Sam’s publicist made waves earlier this month by saying that Sam “is a football player, not an activist.” With respect, I disagree with that last part. Sam is an activist simply by existing publicly as an LGBTQ person in a historically nonLGBTQ space. Noah Cannon is a junior majoring in telecommunication and film. His column runs biweekly.

COLUMN | TRANSPORTATION

An open letter to the Capstone’s Parking and Transportation Services By Michelle Fuentes | Senior Staff Columnist Dear Parking and Transportation Services, In all of elementary, middle and high school, I was never allowed to be a hall monitor. From a very young age I showed extreme attention to detail and a great love of telling my peers, and any adult who would listen, what to do. I’m sure I could have mastered the necessary shouts, including “Slow down” or “Come on, keep moving. Nothing to see here” or “Let me see that hall pass, young person.” As Sheryl Sandberg, author of “Lean In,” would remind us, I was not bossy. I just demonstrated executive leadership skills at an early age. Yes, it is a shame that La Madera Elementary School did not take advantage of my dedication and persistence to make the passing periods between 1990-96 safer for all of us. However, today a real wrong can be made right with the help of your department. I humbly request to be granted the authority to inform University of Alabama community members of their parking and moving

violations on campus. If you’re thinking that this is a big step up from telling kindergartners not to run on the pavement, you’re right. But over the years, I’ve grown a lot in my executive leadership skills. Most notably, my lung capacity is much greater, and I can yell with much more intensity. Additionally, my peers seem to love transversing our beautiful walking campus via their motorized vehicles, despite the conveniences of the Crimson Ride bus system. Thus, the roads are the real hazards and home to the rebel scholars of The University of Alabama. To aptly demonstrate my keen attention to the problem motorist, I’d like to illuminate an infraction I silently observed recently and the proposed action I would take if granted such authority. Monday, as I was returning from my 9:45 a.m. coffee break at Dunkin’ Donuts at Lakeside (don’t even get me started on a lack of dining halls open between 9:30-10:30. Maybe we’ll chat next week, @BamaDining), I noticed a car deliberately entering the Blount and Paty parking lot through the very clearly marked exit

The roads are the real hazards and home to the rebel scholars of The University of Alabama.

only lane. Parking Services, you have done a great job clearly indicating with plenty of signs and permanent road cones, and I understand you can’t be everywhere all at once. This is why I come to you offering help. If granted such authority as I have requested, I would easily be able to call out, “Excuse

EDITORIAL BOARD

WE WELCOME YOUR OPINIONS

Mazie Bryant editor-in-chief

Letters to the editor must contain fewer than 300 words and guest columns less than 800. Send submissions to letters@ cw.ua.edu. Submissions must include the author’s name, year, major and daytime phone number. Phone numbers are for verification and will not be published. Students should also include their year in school and major. The Crimson White reserves the right to edit all guest columns and letters to the editor.

Lauren Ferguson managing editor Katherine Owen production editor Anna Waters visuals editor

Mackenzie Brown online editor Christopher Edmunds chief copy editor John Brinkerhoff opinion editor

me, scholar, just a moment! You have followed incorrect driving procedures. In order to make the roads safe for all individuals, motorist and pedestrian traffic alike, we have entered into a social contract in which we have agreed to abide by all regulations, which include driving in the correct direction and in the correct lane at all times. By driving into this parking lot via the incorrect lane, you have violated this contract and thus your promise to the University.” At this point, I’d all but encourage an existential identity crisis. The next step is obvious: “Scholar, please exit the parking lot, and then, using the correct procedure, enter it again. Yes, now, I’ll wait.” Can you imagine the educational impact of not only myself, but also a team of monitors out to help in this way? It is very exciting. I believe that a reflective vest, crimson sash and a clipboard would be appropriate uniform for an office of this caliber. Thank you for considering my request. Michelle Fuentes is a Ph.D. candidate in political theory. Her column runs weekly.

Last Week’s Poll: Do you believe the University should have removed the Bama Students for Life poster from the Ferg? (Yes: 50%) (No: 50%) This Week’s Poll: Coke or Pepsi? cw.ua.edu/poll

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

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Museum artifacts prove useful in classrooms, teaching resources HISTORY FROM PAGE 1

museum storage facility, one can see the collection of more than 30,000 butterfly specimens, animal skins, skulls and even a shrunken head. Precious rocks, telegraph insulators and ancient handcrafted artifacts line the walls. There are also many pieces related to the University including artifacts from Eugene A. Smith and the Confederate Army uniform of Josiah Gorgas. Additionally, there is an extensive collection of human remains from prehistoric Alabama. “Not everything has been inventoried, but we do have a very good record system,” Ellington said. “We have not reached capacity yet on what we can hold in here. Especially with our Paleolithic collections, we have people gathering all the time.” A variety of these pieces are open to professors to use for instruction and many professors have used the museum’s pieces for education in fields such as biology, art history and geology. “Natural history collections are incredibly important resources for education, research and service,” Leslie Rissler, associate professor and curator of herpetology, said. Rissler said she takes advantage of the many artifacts for her class on field zoology — Lydia Ellington using specimens from the bird, mammal, amphibian and reptile (collections). “The physical collections are important resources because they document a species in a particular location, and these can change with time due to extirpation, extinction or range shifts due to climate change,” Rissler said. “Students also love to see the specimens, many of which were gathered by our most cherished graduate of UA, Dr. Edward O. Wilson.” Dana Ehret, curator of paleontology, has the students in his ‘Vertebrate Paleontology’ honors seminar create a social media project on any item from the museum’s collections they choose. Ehret said he hopes that the museum can utilize the presentations on the museum Facebook page. “Having access to the museum’s collections is a fantastic addition to teaching,” Ehret said. “While some students learn by reading, others are tactile learners. So by being able to bring specimens into the classroom and have students see and touch them can really enhance their learning experience. When discussing extinct forms of life, being able to show actual fossils can help students understand what these organisms looked like.”

We have not reached capacity yet on what we can hold in here.

CW | Austin Bigoney Within the museum storage facility, visitors can find more than 30,000 butterfly specimens, animal skins, skulls and even a shrunken head. Also on display are precious rocks, ancient handcrafted artifacts and the Confederate Army uniform of Josiah Gorgas.

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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Sokol Park opens space for dogs

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CW | Austin Bigoney A student housing complex will be built at the current location of Bamaland and the surrounding businesses.

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Tuscaloosaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first dog park is still on its way toward completion, but the Will May Memorial Dog Park at Sokol Park already has visitors daily. Tuscaloosa Park and Recreation Authority broke ground on the new dog park in October 2013, and Becky Booker, public relations and marketing manager for PARA, said the board is pleased with the work that has been completed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The fence has been up for a couple months, and we have everything in place right now,â&#x20AC;? Booker said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have some pavilions and benches ordered to finish everything up.â&#x20AC;? Sokol Park, one of Tuscaloosaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest parks, already hosts various activities. With 200 acres, it has plenty of room for the new dog park. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was easy for us to pick Sokol Park,â&#x20AC;? Booker said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a very practical choice. Sokol Park is very popular among residents, and it is right off of a main road. So it just made sense.â&#x20AC;? When completed, the dog park will encompass nearly three acres of land in a shaded area and will include an area where the dogs can run, jump, play and fetch with other dogs and their owners. Booker said she is particularly excited about the dog washing area, which will be located at the entrance of the dog park and will have water hoses, shampoo, brushes and towels. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I like the idea that I could take my dog to a park where she does not have to be leashed up,â&#x20AC;? Kayley French, a sophomore at the University of Alabama and a Tuscaloosa resident, said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I take Lou-Lou to Manderson Landing for weekly walks, which is great, but I am sure she would love to run and play with other dogs.â&#x20AC;? French said she is excited about the opening of the new dog park where Lou-Lou, her 3-year-old, 130-pound Great Dane will have more space to play. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She loves to play around with other dogs around the neighborhood in the yard. But for her to have a dedicated place to play and meet other dogs is great,â&#x20AC;? French said. Funding for the park has come from several different places. While no official amount has been released yet, PARA has had some private funds donated, and the city has contributed

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$120,000 for the park renovation. The idea of the dog park was introduced last year to Tuscaloosa Park and Recreation through a community survey. Every year, Tuscaloosa Park and Recreation sends a survey out to residents and asks for feedback on local parks and what residents want. The number one thing residents wanted was a dog park. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We looked at the surveys from the community plus regional, state and national trends,â&#x20AC;? Booker said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People love dogs, and it seems the community really wants it.â&#x20AC;? Carsen McDonald, another Tuscaloosa resident, said he is ready for the dog park to officially open. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I almost feel guilty for having Alli shut up in the house and never letting

her get to play with other dogs like she can at home,â&#x20AC;? McDonald said. McDonaldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dog is a hound mix that is just under 1 year old. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It would be nice for there to be a little fenced-in area where I could possibly throw the ball for her and let her get out some energy,â&#x20AC;? McDonald said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a yard at my house, so she doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really have that privilege anymore, but, all in all, I think it is an awesome idea.â&#x20AC;? The park is currently open to all residents of the Tuscaloosa and surrounding areas, but it will officially open when it is completely finished. The ribbon-cutting ceremony has not been determined yet, but Booker said the board hopes it will be sometime in late February to early March.

Drew Henson, owner of 15th Street Diner and Cypress Inn Restaurant, said he would want to return to the same location if he decided to reopen the diner. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not moving to a new location,â&#x20AC;? Henson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we reopen it, it will be there. I would want to be in the same spot. We have talked to them about it, but nothing is firm yet.â&#x20AC;? Knute Christian Sr., owner of 10th Avenue Package Store, said he believes the growth in new student housing developments has outpaced demand and that building new housing on 10th Avenue will only serve to make traffic worse. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It looks like to me theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re overbuilding, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not a builder,â&#x20AC;? Christian said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And as long as they rent them, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll build them.â&#x20AC;? Since plans for the development were submitted before Mayor Walt Maddoxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s formation of the Student Housing Task Force, the project will not be affected by the amendments to zoning code recently passed by city council. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our project is fully permitted. It was done ahead of the deadlines,â&#x20AC;? Randall said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My understanding is that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also working on creating a new category for projects that are within the box, which is north of 15th street.â&#x20AC;? Randall said despite the rapid growth of student housing developments, he believes the South 10 complex will succeed because of its proximity to sorority row and the rest of campus. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think that the market will dictate what makes sense,â&#x20AC;? Randall said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If [the University] keeps growing at the pace itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been growing, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s room for a lot of whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s being done.â&#x20AC;?

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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

SGA sponsors trip for UA students to Montgomery By Samuel Yang | Staff Reporter

CW File Slash Pine Press is a creative internship program that allows students to publish chapbooks.

Slash Pine Press to make chapbook of local poetry By Emily Williams | Staff Reporter Slash Pine Press, a creative internship program at The University of Alabama, will be creating a chapbook featuring poems written for Poetry Out Loud, a national high school poetry competition that takes place April 30. The chapbook will feature poetry from local high school students. “It’s wonderful to see different ages, different types of people all writing poetry, and then we get the honor of printing it,” Katherine Kosich, a senior majoring in English, said. Student interns working for Slash Pine Press have the opportunity to produce, edit and publish multiple chapbooks each semester while earning course credit. The program was started in 2008 by English professors Patti White and Joseph Wood as a way to showcase a broad range of poetry. In addition to Poetry Out Loud, each semester Slash Pine holds a nationwide call for writing. Co-editors White and Brian Oliu narrow down the submissions to three selections. The student interns make the final selection and then work to choose fonts and art, print, punch holes in the manuscripts and sew them all by hand. Each semester they publish one or

two chapbooks with about 125 copies of each. “It’s all very experimental writing,” Oliu said. Intern Mathew Pereda, a senior majoring in Engli,sh said working for Slash Pine has given him a broader perspective of career paths for English majors. “Being able to put skills like InDesign and Photoshop on my resume is invaluable in this day and age of mass media and technology,” Pereda said. “I don’t think I would have been able to learn and apply those skills without having become a part of Slash Pine.” Pereda said the hard work and attention to detail is rewarding when he sees the finished product. “I’ve learned, to quote Brian Oliu, that pickiness is how we get things done in Slash Pine, so I’m not as anxious about expressing my ideas and concerns as I used to be,” Pereda said. “I had to decide which fonts looked best together, making sure they fit the ‘feel’ of the poetry itself. Everyone liked one of my ideas, and we used it for publication. I have a copy on my shelf right now, and I have to say, it’s really gratifying to know I helped produce it.” Kosich said the manual labor

of sewing together every piece is not the hardest part. “It’s between reading and choosing,” Kosich said. “The first stage of the entire internship, at the beginning of the semester, it’s a bunch of reading and some debating once you get in the class. Sometimes it’s difficult to see why people chose a manuscript as their favorite, but ultimately, everyone’s pretty happy with the final product.” The fun part, Kosich said, is paying attention to the details in the production process, even if other people might find it boring. “You know that you’re really into the Slash Pine lifestyle because you’re sitting there on the third floor of Morgan [Hall], staring at a projection screen and looking at several types of font, and you’re like, ‘No, I don’t like that G,’ or ‘The italics look really weird,’” Kosich said. In addition to the chapbooks, which will be published by the end of the semester, Slash Pine will host a writing festival the second weekend in April, where writers from all over the country, including some published in the chapbooks, will come to read their poetry. They also host readings in town for undergraduates, MFA students and faculty.

As the state capital, Montgomery is Alabama’s hub of politicians and lobbyists, but on Thursday, it will experience a rush of public university students as part of Higher Education Day. Sean Ross, SGA associate vice president of community and university affairs, said Higher Education Day is a time for students to advocate for increased funding and focus. “It’s really a day to bring the schools to the legislature so they know we care about our higher education,” he said. Students will receive free transportation, breakfast and lunch, a T-shirt and a souvenir bag. Panhellenic points and SLPro volunteer hours will be offered, and a signed excuse for class will be provided. Students will also be offered a guaranteed seat for the Capital at the Capstone on March 16, a free formal dinner and town hall discussion. Kyle Jones, SGA director of lobby affairs, said part of Higher Education Day’s purpose is to get to know legislators and show them that higher education is important to their constituents. He said leaving the problems for lobbyists and politicians to solve has proven ineffective. “It kind of goes back to the question of who is in the education system,” Jones said. “[Students] are not fighting the same old battle, and they are not going to keep us in the repetitive cycle we’ve been going through these past couple of years. They will be able to help us improve our system.” Margaret Garner, director of the UA department of health promotion and wellness, said being informed, advocating for one’s values and communicating with leaders are part of giving back. “In the particular area of education for our people, it is at the heart of our present state as a nation and state, and the heartbeat of our future,” Garner said. “Education affects everyone. We need everyone knowing why and making certain that it is front and center on the minds and decisions for all leaders.” Garner said representatives are critical to government as representatives. “[What] they do affects us all,” she said. “How can they know and then reflect in their decisions what we truly believe and want for our community, state or nation if we do not communicate with them?” Stephen Katsinas, professor of higher education and director of the Education Policy Center, said federal Pell grants are protected

CW FIle Students can advocate for increased focus and funding on Higher Education Day. and healthy, but states have slashed higher education funding while increasing aid in ways that do not compensate for inflation. “We’re at a better place than we’ve been, but it’s not what it should be,” he said. “Our state’s most vulnerable students economically are not completing degrees at the level we would like for the 21st-century workforce.” Jonathan Koh, a Ph.D. candidate and research associate in higher education, said the consequences of decreased state funding can result in increased loans or decreased enrollment. “Neither of those are good things,” Koh said. Schools that take the hit may have to increase tuition or decrease quality to keep up, and research from the center shows that many public systems are not balancing budget and needs. “They basically don’t have the infrastructure or funding to effectively educate every single student that applies,” Koh said. Parker Graham, SGA vice president of external affairs, said every year matters when it comes to funding higher education. “It’s not like, ‘Okay, we’re done.’ You keep on it. You keep the pressure on. It holds them accountable,” Graham said. “Education directly affects us. It’s our age group. It’s our generation.” Graham said the event is close to full, but students can still sign up to help meet the goal. While public institutions in the state face cuts together and rally together at the capital, school pride will not be absent from the event. “This year our goal is 201,” he said. “Auburn’s is 200, so we had to one-up them.” Students can register to attend at the SGA website under upcoming events at sga.ua.edu.

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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Photo Courtesy of Evelyn Mitchell The Financial Innovation summer internship allows participants to learn about banking and teach high school students about financial literacy.

Internship teaches banking, social responsibility By Katie Shepherd | Contributing Writer The Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility is partnering with Regions Bank for a third year to offer the Financial Innovation summer internship. The eight-week paid summer internship in Birmingham does more than just teach students about banking and finance. Interns also help high school students in the community learn about financial literacy. Stephen Black, the director of the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility, said the internship is an opportunity for college students to get involved in the community while also learning about the work of business and banking.

“This internship is a great example of a company being interested in hiring young people who are committed to traditional company work but feel passionate about making a difference,” Black said. During the course of the program, which lasts from May 27 to July 18, interns will be expected to work with high schools in the Birmingham area to teach students about financial responsibility. For these students who are typically from low-income families, what they learn in this program could mean the difference between going to college or a life of poverty. In these low-income communities there is something called a “summer slide,” Balck said. This is when children who are out of school for the

summer and whose parents can’t afford to send them to summer camps or internships, turn to less wholesome means of entertainment. “Having something available that can engage students during the summer is really valuable,” Black said. “Regions is interested in having more impact in lowincome communities.” Black has worked with past interns in the program to implement an interactive program called “SummerQuest,” where high school students can complete missions to learn more about financial responsibility. For every mission they accomplish, they earn badges. Badges qualify students to win a grand prize at the end of the summer, which includes a substantial

college scholarship. Last summer, more than 250 high school students participated in the program and spent part of their summer learning skills that could affect their lives down the road. This is exactly what appealed to one of last year’s interns, Elizabeth Wilson, a junior majoring in finance and economics. “My favorite part about this internship was the ability to grow my professional skills within the finance industry, while simultaneously being able to invest in the Birmingham community,” Wilson said. Regions is looking for 10 interns to participate in the program this year. Applications can be sent in online at Regions’ website, and the deadline is April 1.

Academic Honor Council looks to increase membership By Taylor Manning | Staff Reporter The Academic Honor Council, a studentdriven organization that promotes academic honesty, will soon welcome a wave of new members with an induction ceremony in April. “We work to promote honesty campuswide [by] collaborating with other student organizations, giving students study incentives and making ourselves known as a supportive group,” Robbie McCalley, AHC member, said. The AHC sends special invitations to potential applicants according to their class rank and GPA. Becoming a council member is highly competitive, Carol Duncan,

Membership is qualified by hard work academically and the desire to promote honesty among UA students. —Robbie McCalley

administrative assistant to the vice president for student affairs and vice provost, said. Students must receive an invitation in order to apply for membership. John Lovett, council advisor and assistant

director of student conduct, said applicants answer several essay questions and undergo a stringent interview process. The AHC is still in the process of selecting new members, and the deadline for applications is March 7. “Membership is qualified by hard work academically and the desire to promote honesty among UA students,” McCalley said. Mark Nelson, vice president for student affairs and vice provost, said there are honor councils in each college on campus. The heads, or chief justices, of each council also serve on a university-wide council. “What we hope is that by having honor councils in every college, the conversation about academic integrity will be more robust and more transparent with the stu-

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dents, so that will decrease the number of [academic misconduct] cases that we have,” Nelson said. While he has not seen a significant increase in cases of academic dishonesty at The University of Alabama, Nelson said incidences are on the rise nationally. Students who are brought up on charges of academic misconduct may appeal their cases and have them reviewed by the AHC, Nelson said. Council members then provide a recommendation to the dean regarding the appeal. Though members do not rule on the case, they do offer their insights and opinions. The AHC induction ceremony will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 3, in Morgan Hall.

THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR ALL THE RIGHT REASONS

Black Student Union to address UA community The Black Student Union at The University of Alabama and the NAACP will host the State of the Black Union address Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. in 30 ten Hoor Hall. The State of the Black Union was originally scheduled to take place Feb. 11 but was rescheduled after inclement weather shut down the University’s campus. Reava Vaughters, president of the Black Student Union, said the State of the Black Union will not only address what the black community at the University of Alabama has accomplished this year, but also what it needs to continue to improve. “As far as diversity, we’ve definitely done a lot of groundbreaking things this year, with the desegregation of the Greek system,” Vaughters said. A number of speakers will give addresses at the State of the Black Union. Vaughters, president of The University of Alabama chapter of the NAACP, and Utz McKnight, associate professor in the department of political science and chair of the department of gender and race studies, will speak at the event. McKnight’s academic work has focused on racial politics and how race is used to describe social communities in the United States. His current project examines the descriptions of racial violence and the politics of race after the presidency of Barack Obama. McKnight will be the keynote speaker at the State of the Black Union and will discuss what he believes the black community as a whole needs to do to move forward. “At the State of the Black Union, we’ll be discussing what’s going on in our community and what our current generation needs to do to better ourselves and go forward within our community, not just on the UA campus but in America,” Vaughters said. Despite the progress made over the last year, Vaughters said more needs to be done to give the black community a bigger presence at the University. “My personal opinion is that we need to be more involved on campus,” Vaughters said. “That means coming to more events and being members of various organizations. I feel like very few of us actually get involved in the different organizations that we have on campus and actually go out to events.”

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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

CW | Austin Bigoney UATD director Jeffrey Tangeman creates his own rendition of William Inge’s “Picnic” performance that explores 1950s America in a 24-hour window of time.

Faculty, students prepare for UATD’s ‘Picnic’ By Laura Testino | Contributing Writer The reappearance of many themes in theatre suggest that while time and place may alter the clothing characters wear or the language they use, the characters still struggle with subjects universal to audiences. This idea unfolds on the Marian Gallaway stage in the University of Alabama department of theatre and dance’s production of “Picnic,” a play written by William Inge in 1953. Jeffrey Tangeman, assistant professor and head of the MFA directing program, said he has enjoyed exploring and presenting Inge’s script as the director of “Picnic.” Although he has experience as a director, this is his first time directing a show at the University. “While the struggles are universal, how the characters deal with them are determined in large part by social norms,” Tangeman said. “And those were very different during the 1950s. So you start to see things that, in some ways to us today as a contemporary audience, they seem antiquated. They seem old–fashioned, like, ‘My grandmother would have said that.’ I think an audience has to accept these people as they were in the 1950s, and then suddenly

PLAN TO GO WHAT: UATD’s “Picnic” WHEN: Feb. 24 - March 1, 7:30 p.m. and March 2, 2 p.m. WHERE: Marian Gallaway Theatre the play cracks open. And it’s very moving, and it’s completely available to an audience.” Allison Hetzel, associate professor of acting and voice, appears as a faculty artist in the show. She plays the role of Flo Owens, the mother to two daughters. In developing her character, Hetzel to made comparisons to her own relatives. “My parents grew up in the ‘50s, and then my other relatives – grandmothers, great aunts and such – I think of in this time. And I remember some funny things my grandmothers would say about some of the topics that come up in the play, and just have to reflect on it,” she said. This glimpse into 1950s America examines the lives of several characters over a 24-hour window of time. During this short time several events occur, and dynamic relationships between the characters continue to develop. “A whole bunch could change in a day.

We’ve all had those periods in our life. And plays are not written about the days that nothing happened,” Hetzel said. During the rehearsal process, Tangeman worked with cast members to understand their part in the character-driven show. Being able to work through the play with Hetzel as a faculty artist and fellow cast member was a refreshing experience for Taylor Schafer, a junior majoring in theatre who plays the role of Ms. Potts. “It’s been really, really beneficial to me as an actor in training to see a show go from something that’s pleasant and simple to something so extravagant and complex in what I can offer an audience,” Schafer said. Schafer has been involved in theatre since age 12, but for other cast members, stage experience varies. The cast includes Hetzel, graduate students and undergraduate students of varying experiences, including James Morris, a senior majoring in chemical engineering. Morris plays Hal Carter in his first a lead role. Morris said his interest in theatre blossomed after taking a Theatre 115 class last semester just to fill hours. Having the opportunity to end his year in this show is “the icing on the cake.”

“The whole point of the play is exploring the characters and exploring those relationships. It’s stories that are as old as time itself,” Morris said. “I think everyone will be able to find someone on stage that they can relate to, in either an action or a character or relationship. I think [‘Picnic’] is just as poignant now as it was 50 years ago.” Morris said he appreciated Tangeman’s guidance that enabled him to portray the play’s universal themes through his character, Hal. Tangeman said he finds the definition of youth, among the ideas of real beauty, identity and self-awareness, to be one of the main concepts of Inge’s play. “We tend to value youth a great deal, and what it means, and that excitement and that exhilaration that comes with being young. And what [Inge] does in the play is he contrasts that with people who are older, who don’t have that spark necessarily anymore, but they remember that spark from when they had it. And there’s something really beautifully reminiscent in that,” Tangeman said. “Picnic” will be performed in the Gallaway Theatre from Feb. 24 to March 1 at 7:30p.m. and March 2 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at the box office or online at ua.tix.com.

COLUMN | MUSIC

Debut from Les Claypool’s Duo de Twang exaggerates bluegrass By Jordan Cissell

Amazon.com “Four Foot Shack,” the debut album from Duo de Twang, is a humorous take on Appalachian music.

If you’re already an indoctrinated follower of Les Claypool, the singer-bassist for long-running, genre-defying act Primus, you already know by now to expect anything and nothing from the dude. If you’re not already hip to his scene, then all the better, “Four Foot Shack,” the debut record from Duo de Twang, is the latest installment in his perennially and prolifically weird series of solo and collaborative side projects. Here’s the deal: Claypool plays bass, longtime partner in crime Bryan Kehoe plays guitar, and both share foot stompin’ and singing duties. “Four Foot Shack” is a collection of traditional Americana, Primus and pop pantheon tracks rendered in a hyperbolic Appalachian bluegrass style. With a twist, of course. Claypool may be best known for the funky, idiosyncratic bounce of his slap-bass attack. So instead of plodding along to the jug-and-stand-up-bass lumber you’ve come

to associate with hillbilly country, these 15 tracks’ high lonesome sound rides a jumpy groove foundation. It’s like plugging the Flecktones’ Victor Wooten into Elvis’ legendary 1950s Sun Records recording sessions. Except here, the primary objective is humor and parody, not hit record potential. If you don’t go any further, check out the cover of the Bee Gees’ 1977 disco monolith “Stayin’ Alive,” one of the most instantly enjoyable tracks on the record. In place of Barry Gibb’s trademark falsetto, Claypool and Kehoe hiccup and burble over the bouncy one-two bass strut. Claypool conveys the song’s familiar “Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!” refrain in a bizarre croak before ceding the floor to Kehoe’s jangly guitar break. It’s more than worth the 4:45 run time, if only for the smile its novelty is guaranteed to prompt. The cover of the Chantays’ surf classic “Pipe Line” (you’ll recognize it when you hear it) is another highlight, here given the lowdown, slow-burn Tex-Mex treatment for

the first minute and a half before erupting into full-blown lucha libre chant a la the “Nacho Libre” soundtrack. “D’s Diner,” a previous Claypool original, mesmerizes with repetitive blues mantra, interrupted periodically by refreshing three-second spurts of frenetic funk bass. The simple, understated trajectory of Kehoe’s solo evokes only-as-much-as-isneeded perfection of Scotty Moore’s best licks. Jerry Reed cover “Amos Moses,” Claypool original “Red State Girl” and Alice in Chains cover “Man in the Box” (which adds a little “Rawhide” whip effect for good measure) all jump with a lot of fun energy, too, though the tracks’ homogeneous presentation makes it real easy for ’em to all run together. If your quest is for a toe-tappin’ good time, this record’s a one-stop shop, but don’t go looking for any statements of artistic permanence here. Duo de Twang’s all about having fun, nothing more, and sometimes that’s just what you need.

SOUTHEASTERNCONCERTS

Birmingham WHAT: Carolina Chocolate Drops WHEN: Friday, 8 p.m. WHERE: Alys Stephens Center WHAT: White Animals WHEN: Friday, 9 p.m. WHERE: Zydeco WHAT: Secret Midnight Band/Grandaddy Ghostlegs WHEN: Friday, 9 p.m. WHERE: Bottletree Cafe WHAT: Ice Balloons/Droves WHEN: Saturday, 9 p.m. WHERE: Bottletree Cafe

Nashville WHAT: St. Paul and The Broken Bones with Steelism WHEN: Thursday, 8 p.m. WHERE: Mercy Lounge/Cannery Ballroom WHAT: Yip Deceiver WHEN: Friday, 8 p.m. WHERE: High Watt WHAT: Rick Patin WHEN: Friday, 6:30 p.m. WHERE: Legend’s Corner WHAT: Cherub WHEN: Saturday, 8 p.m. WHERE: Mercy Lounge/Cannery Ballroom WHAT: The Alternate Routes with Flint Eastwood WHEN: Saturday, 8 p.m. WHERE: High Watt

Atlanta

New Orleans

WHAT: The Gallery WHEN: Friday, 7 p.m. WHERE: The Masquerade

WHAT: No Bragging Rights WHEN: Friday, 5:30 p.m. WHERE: The Cypress

WHAT: Lake Street Drive Terminal West WHEN: Friday, 8 p.m. WHERE: King Plow

WHAT: SHPOGLE WHEN: Friday, 8 p.m. WHERE: The Civic Theater

WHAT: Swami Gone Bananas WHEN: Friday, 9 p.m. WHERE: Hottie Hawgs BBQ

WHAT: Brian Hyken and the Wanderlust WHEN: Friday, 9 p.m. WHERE: Gasa Gasa

WHAT: Super Bob WHEN: Friday, 9:30 p.m. WHERE: Wild Bill’s

WHAT: The Revivalists WHEN: Friday, 10 p.m. WHERE: Tipitina’s

WHAT: T-Pain WHEN: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Wild Bill’s

WHAT: Led Zeppelin 2 WHEN: Friday, 10:30 p.m. WHERE: House of Blues

WHAT: Switchfoot WHEN: Sunday, 6:30 p.m. WHERE: The Buckhead Theatre

WHAT: Better than Ezra WHEN: Saturday, 10 p.m. WHERE: House of Blues

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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

CW | Lindsey Leonard Students on the Design, Build, Fly team spend nine months designing and building a model aircraft that will compete against 65 U.S. teams and 35 international teams.

Students ﬂy into world of model airplanes By Dylan Walker | Staff Reporter Tuscaloosa weather is warming up and students are turning off their laptops, putting down their books and heading outside to enjoy the spring. For some, this means walking the dog or tossing a football on the Quad. For others, this means taking a model airplane out for a fly. Model airplanes can range from small electric craft that cost $60 to $80 dollars to gas-powered craft that can cost thousands of dollars, and modelers can participate in events ranging from recreational flies to international competitions. In Tuscaloosa, those interested in model aviation can get involved through the engineering department or off campus at the West Alabama Aero Modelers airfield. One outlet for students interested in model aviation is the Design, Build, Fly team. A crew of senior aerospace majors has nine months to design and build a model aircraft to compete against 65 U.S. teams and 35 international teams in a DBF competition. “I was one of those people that really enjoyed hands-on projects and being able to apply what I’ve been able to learn in a classroom,” said Will Bowen, co-captain of the DBF team and a senior aerospace engineering major. “I’ve also flown as a hobby for a while.” Chris Cottingham, a senior majoring in

It’s kind of an adrenaline rush in that you could really mess it up, and then your plane and all that you’ve worked on is gone. — Dylan Stapp aerospace engineering and co-captain of DBF, said the skills used in building model aircraft translate into full-sized aviation. The principles applied to a wooden airplane in Hardaway Hall are the same that help a commercial plane take off from the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. “If you could see into a 747, you’d see into a structure similar to this,” Cottingham said. After the plane was built in February, Bowen, Cottingham and the team took it to the WAAM airfield in Northport where Frank Baity, a WAAM member and former pilot, tested the craft. “The guys at WAAM will fly the plane for us and give us feedback,” Bowen said. “It’s really helpful before we start competition.” WAAM, a charter member of the Academy of Model Aeronautics, “is dedicated to the

hobby of remote controlled flying by promoting and enjoying all types of model airplane activity,” according to the group’s website. Comprised of former pilots, doctors and lawyers, the chapter welcomes anyone, not just aerospace engineers, to come fly or hang out, Baity said. WAAM has flown at the AMA airfield, rented from the Tuscaloosa Park and Recreation Authority, since 1976. Members go through an AMA licensing process that provides liability insurance and pay yearly dues of $100, with half-price discounts for students and family discounts. The chapter currently has 55 members but expects membership to grow to 80 members as the weather warms. “The WAAM facility here is all about wholesome fun, underlined by safety,” Baity said. “It is somewhat of a dangerous thing if you don’t implement some safety.” Baity said that the field, an alcohol-free area, has a family atmosphere, with children and young adults through retirees in attendance. WAAM hosts several events throughout the year, including the upcoming Spring Fun Fly on March 22. Baity and Brock Rester, WAAM vice president, encourage anyone interested in model aviation to come to the field, where several members can be found on any pretty day, they said. “There are several places to buy planes in Tuscaloosa, and you can also build them,

but it’s better to first come and talk to somebody,” Rester said. “We get them started.” One newcomer at the WAAM field is Dylan Stapp, a junior majoring in aerospace engineering and astrophysics. Stapp began flying seven years ago but picked it up again last year as a way to get away from school and enjoy the weather. “It’s kind of an adrenaline rush in that you could really mess it up, and then your plane and all that you’ve worked on is gone,” Stapp said. “For somebody who likes aeronautics or mechanical tinkering, that’s also a big part of it.” Stapp said he finds it hard to make time for flying sometimes, but it’s worth it to experience the rush of working on something while also meeting other people. “When I’m out there, there’s no downside,” Stapp said. “The main detriment to the whole thing is just weather and not having time to get out there.” Baity said the enjoyment and family atmosphere attract many members and viewers to the airfield and to model aviation as a whole. He encourages people to come to an event to meet people and see the planes. “I’ve been flying remote-controlled planes since 1970, and I fly a lot,” Baity said. “The camaraderie is definitely the best part about it, and we encourage everyone to get into the hobby.” A list of WAAM events can be found on its website at www.waam.us.

COLUMN | HEALTH

Vegetarians must eat variety of foods to sustain nutritious diet By Katherine Metcalf Every day, students are faced with food choices that prompt them to question what is going to give them energy, what types of foods are going to be good for their health and, simply, what food will taste good. However, some students are amping up their simple food choices to a higher level by almost completely altering their eating habits in cutting meat out of their regular diets. People choose this type of eating lifestyle for a variety of reasons, such as to lose weight or personal beliefs about the way animals are treated. Vegetarianism is also suggested to be a healthier lifestyle by some dietitians. The vegetarian diet works for some students, but many choose to go back to eating their favorite meat products shortly after their vegetarian forays. Changing your eating habits is a difficult transition because you are giving up the foods your body wants and will crave in an instant. Morgan Casavant, a senior majoring in advertising, said it is important to research and familiarize yourself with the types of food you have to replace with other nutrients and the sacrifices that come with being a vegetarian. “It is important to gradually change your eating habits, not change every single thing you eat in one night,” she said. Casavant suggested eating meatless for one meal every week. It can be as simple as substituting tofu for lunch instead of chicken. After a while, your body will get used to the process, and it will be much easier to make those types of food choices.

You have to be committed before you decide to take on the lifestyle. — Morgan Casavant Casavant said she also struggled with finding vegetarian-friendly options when out with friends. Salads often don’t give you all of your daily nutrients, so sometimes you have to get creative with the menu. Try ordering vegetable side items in combination with a bread and cheese plate. “When I go out with my friends, sometimes I have to order just a salad while everyone else eats burgers and wings; you have to be committed before you decide to take on the lifestyle,” Casavant said. Many people do not commit to the vegetarian lifestyle because they think they have to eat salads all the time. If students are committed, they can make wholesome meals and snacks with vegetarian products that taste delicious. Some examples of healthy vegetarian diet staples are: eggs, beans, nuts, pasta, seeds and dried fruit. Getting adequate nutrients is important, so having a variety of different vegetarian foods is key to sustaining the diet. These ingredients are great salad toppings that can help sustain a healthy diet.

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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

COLUMN | TV

CW | Austin Bigoney An extension of the Tuscaloosa Arts Council, The Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center is located at the corner of 7th Street and Greensboro Avenue.

Cultural center brings student art downtown By Cokie Thompson | Contributing Writer At the corner of 7th Street and Greensboro Avenue, artwork from The University of Alabama is displayed from the front windows of a former hardware store, where Tuscaloosa residents once bought everything they needed, from twoby-fours and nails, to their first baseball gloves. Now the space is used as the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center for community art events. “It was like the Walmart of Tuscaloosa,” said Sandra Wolfe, the executive director of the Tuscaloosa Arts Council, whose office is just a few steps down the block, next to the Bama Theatre. The Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center consists of two galleries, the Black Box Theatre and meeting space for members of the Tuscaloosa Arts Council on Tuesday, the Council members will have the opportunity to connect with the public at the Community Arts Conversations event. Community Arts Conversations allows the public to see the new space downtown and learn more about the arts in Tuscaloosa. Tours of the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center will be given the night of the event so the public can see the space’s renovation. In between the two galleries, members will be set up at tables to inform attendees about their upcoming events. The Arts

Council will give away ticket packages to the Bama Theatre movie series in addition to door prizes. Performance groups like Alabama Blues Project and Drishti will showcase their talents in 15-minute increments in the Black Box Theatre. “If people don’t know about you, then they won’t come in, so [we want] any way that we can get our name out there, especially to non-students and non-UA folks said Katie McAllister, director of the Paul R. Jones Gallery. I mean they know about it, but the community at large may not know.” The Paul R. Jones Gallery is on 6th Street, right around the corner from the Bama Theatre, and adds to downtown Tuscaloosa’s thriving art scene. The gallery is owned by The University of Alabama and exhibits work from the Paul R. Jones Collection of American Art. Wolfe said she hopes both the event and the more visible locations of the galleries will bring people out to see what is happening in the community. “I think it’s nice for the community to feel like they’re part of the University by coming to this gallery and the UA gallery without being in the midst of the University,” McAllister said. “There’s a lot of people that want to be involved and come to lectures and concerts and art shows and student shows, but they don’t want to go on campus, so it’s nice we’re here to offer them that.”

Amazon.com The show “Rich Kids of Beverly Hills” is narrated through updates similar to Instagram.

Shows like ‘Rich Kids of Beverly Hills’ further conceited culture By Hannah Widener I know, I know – this column isn’t about “House of Cards,” which I’m sure must be so upsetting. Believe me, dear reader, when I say I am just as upset as you are. I still don’t have a Netflix account, but have no fear because come summer I will be Netflix-ing up a storm in between work and the beach. Writing about a show I have never seen is something I will never do. While I could look up long recaps of episodes and try to catch up to the second season, the fans of the show will know I’m not a true “House of Cards” fanatic. A teacher once told me, “Write about what you know.” This is what I know. Recently at the gym while sweating it out on the treadmill, I came across the show “Rich Kids of Beverly Hills” on the E! network, and 6 miles later, I still had no idea why this show was on the air. The show follows a couple of rich socialites as they go shopping, party and vacation in the most extravagant locations. The format of “Rich Kids of Beverly Hills” is set up as an Instagram account, transitioning between scenes with captions and pictures that the cast has posted during that day of filming. Their problems are minute, from Roxy Sowlaty’s parents “cutting her off” to Dorothy Wang’s hunt for the perfect apartment with the right “selfie lighting.” Money is of no object for these young adults who are still living off their parents’ bank accounts and spending like there’s no tomorrow. I cannot judge these people for their upbringing, but I can bring to light a question that has been burning in my mind since I first saw this show: When did we become so obsessed with ourselves? Riding my bike to class every day, I almost hit at least 10 people, all of whom are looking down at their cellphones and not looking up at what is going on around them. Jerry Seinfeld recently did his standup routine on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” and talked about how we can’t survive without our phones. We have to always be in contact with people.

Before cameras, great men erected statues of themselves to show the world how powerful they were, not to show the world that they were having a great hair day.

“You want to feel a hard rectangle in your pocket, and it better be juiced up. It can’t be on empty,” Seinfeld said. He was right. If you look around the classroom, almost every student has a cellphone on their desk or is trying to hide one. In my ECON 101, class my teacher likes to call students out when she catches them looking at their phones, and about five people respond, “Who, me?” “Rich Kids of Beverly Hills” may not be an accurate picture of kids today because none of us is buying thousands of dollars’ worth of champagne, but it’s dead on when it comes to Instagram. As you scroll down the feed, take a look at how many pictures are just selfies. My personal favorite are the “bathroom selfies” when you know someone couldn’t possibly have gotten a friend to take a picture of themselves, and instead you now know what brand of toilet paper that person buys. So is Instagram to blame with our self-obsession as of late? Before cameras, great men erected statues of themselves to show the world how powerful they were, not to show the world that they were having a great hair day. I am a frequent user of Instagram, and I take embarrassing Snapchat photos just like everyone else, but I’m starting to get tired of seeing my own face. Memories used to be captured in the brain, not your memory card. My recommendation for you is not to watch “Rich Kids of Beverly Hills” unless you want to be bored out of your mind. Instead, tear yourself away from your Netflix account, and leave your phone at home. I know it’s scary, but you’re going to be all right.

THE UNIVERSIT Y OF ALABAMA

Media Planning Board invites applications for these positions for the 2014-15 academic year

Editor

Corolla Station Manager

WVUA 90.7 FM Editor

Marr’s Field Journal Editor/Assistant Editor

Southern Historian DEADLINE

FEBRUARY 25, 2014 @ 4 P.M. Applications are available online at osm.ua.edu. Call 348-8034 for more information

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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

COLUMN | FOOD

Limited availability creates greater appeal By Tara Massouleh

Wikimedia Commons Chick-fil-A has been closed on Sundays since it opened 68 years ago, leaving patrons craving its sandwhiches and nuggets every weekend.

The other day, I was driving back from Atlanta with a few friends after an ultimate Frisbee tournament, when we all collectively realized we had a hankering for a milkshake. Normally, this wouldn’t have been a problem. After all, there are probably more than 100 fast food stops on the way from Atlanta to Tuscaloosa, most of which serve milkshakes or at least something similar. Wendy’s has Frosty milkshakes, and McDonald’s has McFlurries or McCafé shakes, but they’re all basically the same. There was a problem, and a major one at that, because we all wanted a Chick-fil-A milkshake, and, of course, it was Sunday. I’ll admit I’m not a huge Chick-fil-A fan. I eat their food when its convenient, but even passing at least three Chick-fil-A restaurants each day, I never feel particularly tempted to order an eight-pack. However,

whenever Sunday rolls around, more often than not, there’s nothing I want more than a large order of waffle fries, some chicken nuggets and a cookiesand-cream milkshake. After reading countless tweets about people’s post-church Sunday struggles after remembering that Chick-fil-A is closed Sundays and witnessing multiple cars pull up to Chickfil-A drive-thrus before realizing their mistake, I have determined that everyone is susceptible to the curse of the Sunday Chick-fil-A craving. We all know Chick-fil-A is 10 times more appealing on Sundays, but the real question is why? I think it has something to do with the old adage, “We always want what we can’t have.” At one time or another, we’ve all set our eye on a particular guy or girl and then worked tirelessly to get their attention. When we didn’t have them, the goal was clear. But the minute we finally got them to notice us, we forgot

why we wanted their attention in the first place, and their appeal vanished as quickly as it came. It’s human nature to be all about the chase – the process being more important than the final product and the journey more important than the destination. Maybe if Chick-fil-A was open Sundays, we’d all stop craving it so much, but we’ll probably never know. Despite the pleas of thousands of griping costumers over the years, Chickfil-A has been closed on Sunday since it opened 68 years ago. So I guess since Chick-fil-A seems pretty adamant about their Sunday policy, we’ll all have to learn a lesson from the Rolling Stones in realizing that we can’t always get what we want, and maybe finding what we need is realizing we don’t need to drink a shake with more than one and a half times the daily recommended amount of sugar.

Author of ‘The Help’ to visit UA, speak about book Hannah Widener | Contributing Writer Kathryn Stockett, a University of Alabama alumna and author of The New York Times best-selling book, “The Help,” will be on campus Friday to discuss the book’s backstory during a lecture. The recent fame of the film adaptation of the book has garnered multiple awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress but has not prevented Stockett from giving back to her alma mater. “I think she’s excited to be returning to her alma mater,” Kari Frederickson, organizer of the event, said. “The title of her talk is ‘The Story Behind The Help,’ so I suspect she will focus on the book’s development, her ideas and the difficult process of getting published.” One fan of the “The Help” is Trent McDaniel, a sophomore majoring in public

PLAN TO GO WHAT: “The Story Behind The Help” WHEN: Friday, 3 p.m. WHERE: Moody Music Building Concert Hall relations. McDaniel said his favorite part of the story is a side plot, focusing on how the character Celia Foote opens her home to a woman named Minny. “Yes, she is hiring this woman on as a housemaid, but she doesn’t once treat her as a lesser [person],” McDaniel said. “She shows her appreciation and love for Minny throughout the whole movie. She is one of the only kind-hearted white women in this movie besides the main character Skeeter.” McDaniel said the recent controversy over

sorority segregation has made Stockett’s lecture more prevalent than ever. “I believe this lecture is more important now because it speaks louder to the audience of people who have experienced discrimination. This entire campus has now experienced it,” McDaniel said. Frederickson said he believes it is the main theme of segregation that really resonates with students. “I think one of the most powerful themes in the book is how the culture of segregation poisons all human relationships, not just those between whites and blacks. Particularly moving in this book is how this culture tears apart the relationships of mothers and daughters,” Frederickson said. Stockett will discuss her novel Friday at 3 p.m. at the Moody Music Building Concert Hall. The lecture is free and open to the public. Stockett will sign books following the lecture.

Amazon.com

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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

COLUMN | NFL

NFL Scouting Combine is not perfect process By Keegan Elsner Each year, fans of both college and professional football tune in to the NFL Scouting Combine. We watch players go through drills like the 40-yard dash, vertical leap and the bench press. All of these drills help show how athletic a prospect is, but it’s time we realize that the combine isn’t everything. Eddie Lacy didn’t wow anybody in last year’s combine, but he recently took home the trophy for the 2013 Offensive Rookie of the Year. Lacy rushed for 1,178 yards in his first year in the NFL. If you’re an NFL team looking for a fast running back, the 40-yard dash is a fantastic drill to look at. Chris Johnson ran a 4.24 in 2008, and he has proved to be a star for the Tennessee Titans. But it isn’t a great indicator for every position. It is unnecessary to heavily critique an offensive lineman’s 40 time. Those who work in the front office for NFL franchises definitely look at a prospect’s athletic measurements, but it’s their work ethic and attitude that truly matter. A guy who runs a 4.3 but has a terrible attitude is worthless to an NFL franchise. Tom Brady is the greatest example of someone who proved the NFL Scouting Combine isn’t everything in determining how good a football player someone will be. Brady wasn’t physically imposing. He didn’t have the strongest arm. He put up a whopping 5.28 in the 40-yard dash. But he is in discussion as one of the best quarterbacks of all time because of his work ethic and production on the field. This year’s NFL Scouting Combine features big names from across the country. Former South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney impressed NFL scouts with his 40 time this week with an official 4.53. But how often is Clowney going to run 40 yards in one play? How Clowney tests in the interview and film rooms will be the determining factor in where he goes in the draft. It’s important that we as fans pay attention to what matters in the combine. These athletes will be wearing a lot more than just Under Armour on Sundays next fall. Coaches want to know what they will be able to get out of these guys come practice time. What will be most important to these coaches are the interviews and conversations with the prospects. The NFL Scouting Combine is great for testing athletic performance, but it will take a lot more than a strong 40 time for a prospect to be successful in the NFL.

Photo Courtesy 24/7 Sports The JUCO duo joins the Tide for the 2014 season, filling in for the losses at the defensive tackle and defensive end positions. Pettway had previously played for the Tide during the 2012 season before joining Reed at East Mississippi Community College.

Pettway, Reed set to step in By Marc Torrence | Sports Editor Alabama coach Nick Saban typically only takes a junior college transfer if the player can fill an immediate need and is talented enough to do so. Most recently, cornerback Deion Belue was a two-year starter the last two seasons coming from Northeast Mississippi Community College. Before him, Terrence Cody made a huge impact on the defensive line and was a key part of the early Saban years. Last year, Alabama’s defensive line lacked a significant push up front, so Saban went out and got two of the highest-rated JUCO defensive line prospects out there. 247Sports rated Jarran Reed the No. 2 JUCO defensive tackle and D.J. Pettway the No. 3 defensive end. Both hail from East Mississippi Community College, are already on campus and should play a role on Alabama’s 2014 defensive front. “Everybody that signs here is a special player,” Reed said on national signing day. “We have special players already here. I think we’re going to come together as a team like we’ve been doing, and we’re going to keep it

Alabama football.” Pettway is actually making his second appearance with Alabama. He was a member of the 2012 signing class and played sparingly on Alabama’s championship team that season. The following February, he was dismissed along with three other players in connection with an on-campus robbery. Pettway spent a year in junior college and was the only one of the four offered to re-join the team. “Surprised. Excited. Humbled. Eager. Everything and anything you could think of,” Pettway said of being offered the opportunity to come back to Alabama. “I was just ready. I always wanted to be here. It was my first love, University of Alabama, since high school. I loved it when I was here, and I’m glad I’m able to get back.” In his year away from Alabama, Pettway dominated the JUCO ranks, recording 48 tackles and 11.5 sacks. When offered a second chance, Pettway took it. “I learned how to be more courageous,” Pettway said. “If I see anything or if I’m around anything bad happening around me, I’m willing to stop it or step forward.

UA anthropology professor sees difference between North, South EDUCATION FROM PAGE 1

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including four colleges in New York. “I know from teaching here that most of the students who speak up in the Anthropology of Sex course indicate that their only sex education was a health course in high school and possibly something brief from their parents,” Lynn said. “Now that’s not all of them, but the ones who put their hands up think they lack something they think they should have.” Lynn said the stereotyped sexually conservative South holds true due to religious stigmas and lack of sex education in schools. “I taught at four different institutions in New York and by and large had a more exposed – I wouldn’t say smarter or more sophisticated or anything like that – but a different percentage of [students who] have been exposed to basic sex and didn’t see it as all that taboo,” Lynn said. “So you put all of that together, and it suggests essentially that the conservatism prevents educational exposure opportunity.” Ben Ray, a senior majoring in French and English, hails from Slapout, Ala., where he said he received little to no sex education besides the abstinence-only, hetero-normative previously defined. Ray said it was not until college that he formed his beliefs about sex and sexuality. “I would say that the state of sexual education in the state of Alabama is beyond deplorable, and for the South in general there’s this attitude that there’s this taboo associated – a stigmatization of sexuality – especially LGBT sexuality,” Ray said. “I would say this conservative attitude is detrimental. … Teen pregnancies that come about from this lack of knowledge of sex, the spreading of STDs, specifically HIV and AIDS, these kinds of things are the direct result of the conservative attitude that doesn’t allow for real sexual knowledge.” According to the Center for Disease Control’s HIV surveillance report in 2011, the South has a much higher concentration of HIV diagnoses, with 21,326. The

I’m willing to be the man that makes a change. I’m willing to help anyone around here, any of my teammates. I learned just to be more positive, be more grateful.” Reed initially signed with Florida after a year in junior college, but couldn’t qualify academically, so he went to East Mississippi for a second year. He anchored the interior of a defense that recorded 67 sacks and held opponents to just 9.8 points per game. He figures to play a similar role at Alabama. “Just come in, help the team as much as I can,” Reed said. “I’m just going to play hard, just do what I can, get in and learn the plays, just be coachable and be helpful to the team.” Together, Pettway and Reed will be a major part of a defensive line overhaul after losing two starters to graduation and the draft. “I talked to him every day about it,” Pettway said of playing with Reed. “At first he signed with Florida, and we talked about it all the time. With me being here, it was easy for me to tell him how things are going to be. I was just letting him know it was hard work, and afterwards you’d be a very complete player.”

WHAT TO KNOW TITLE 16 SECTION 40A-2 Section 16-40A-2 of the Code of Alabama of 1975 outlines nine requirements for the “minimum contents to be incuded in sex education program or curriculum.”

Northeast had the second-most with 7,989, a difference of 13,337. “When you talk about Southern conservatism and this idea of Southern gentility that men are supposed to be this certain way and women are supposed to keep their virginity until they’re married, I think it has historical roots in the South that still pervade in the present-day culture,” Ray said. Briana Fennell, a junior majoring in secondary education, grew up as a Catholic in Hattiesburg, Miss., and attended a private Catholic school. She said the majority of her sexual education was covered in her high school sex class and focused on anatomy. Fennell said she is choosing to wait until she is married to have sex. “Mostly my religion has shaped my views of sex,” Fennell said. “What I’ve learned a lot since coming to college is the logic behind it. The theology behind it is very obvious to me because of my upbringing, but you can explain my views of sex without mentioning God based on logic and the natural law, which I love.” Religion, logic and political leanings aside, Lynn said sexuality is an undeniable part of the human experience. Without communication about it, regions may continue to develop the same patterns and opinions. “You have a social structure where sexuality is totally a part of it,” Lynn said. “This is the way humans have been for most of evolutionary history. People don’t really move that far away from home. If you plan to stay in this community your whole life, you have no interest in moving to where sexual morays are different, then the values that they have here are super, super important.”

I would say that the state of sexual education in the state of Alabama is beyond deplorable. — Ben Ray

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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

CLUB SPORTS | CHEERLEADING

New club squad sees success Kayla Montgomery | Contributing Writer When University of Alabama junior Gerard Jones began stunting on the Quad with friends over the summer, he envisioned a casual social setting for those with a cheerleading background to stay connected to the sport. A semester later, this casual gathering has transitioned into a successful competitive group, the Alabama Club Cheer Team. “During the summer, we started the cheer club, which was meant to be strictly social, with people simply talking about cheer, free stunting and watching competitions,” Jones said. “When I saw the talent we had, I decided to start a second branch, the actual team.” The new team competed in Cheersport Nationals in Atlanta, Ga.,on Feb. 15-16 and won second place in the college division in its first competition. Team members hope to eventually compete through the National Cheerleaders Association, a separate division from the UA sponsored teams, but the team wasn’t able to this year because of financial restraints. Instead, the team began its competition experience at Cheersport. “Cheersport is one of the largest competitions in the region and the U.S.,” Jones said. “If we weren’t going to NCA Nationals the first year, we still wanted to go somewhere we could get some good exposure against some good competition.” Having only been together for a few months, the team has had many obstacles in preparing for competitions, most notably the lack of a consistent facility to practice in. Often, the group had to practice on the Quad, a surface not ideal for competitive cheerleaders. The group was finally able to find facilities in the gyms of Tumbling Tides, ACE of Tuscaloosa and High Fly All Stars.

Co-coach Jacob Quinlan, a senior at the University, said the team would not have been as successful without the help of these organizations. “We as a team are very thankful for them letting us use their facilities in competition prep,” Quinlan said. In addition to the struggle of finding facilities, lack of funding was also an issue for the team, since it is not sponsored by the University. Jones said most of the team’s funding has come from its own pockets or from the Source, a UA organization that advocates the creation of student organizations. The club team has also faced challenges in recruiting members to its organization because of lack of awareness. Currently, there are only 14 members, fewer than most other competitive teams in its division. “The first year of an organization is always rough, and it’s been hard getting the word out,” Quinlan said. “There’s a lot of talent on campus that hasn’t been tapped into.” Given the obstacles the team faced in its early stages, Jones said coming in second at Cheersport was that much sweeter. “Getting to Cheersport in itself was an accomplishment,” Jones said. “We took away a much-needed confidence from this competition, and the team is much more confident in our program and coaching. They saw that with hard work comes results.” The team will return to the mat Sunday for the Spirit Brands Southeast Championships in Birmingham and looks to participate in showcases in the fall before NCA Nationals next year. Currently, the team is looking to add new members who have competition experience at level four or higher and can execute a layout and standing back-tuck. Those interested can email the orgaCW | Austin Bigoney nization at alabamacheerteam@yahoo.com. Jacob Quinlan and team members jump in unison at a practice at ACE Monday evening.

CLUB SPORTS | WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL

Alabama looks to bring home titles By Danielle Walker | Staff Reporter In its last home tournament of the season, the Alabama women’s wheelchair basketball team hosted the first annual ABC Medical Collegiate Classic at the Student Recreation Center and Foster Auditorium. The women competed in three games against the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and the University of Illinois. On Friday night, the women won their first game against UTA 63-31 and dropped their second game against UW-Whitewater 82-63. On Saturday, Alabama beat Illinois 69-44 in Foster Auditorium. The women improved their record to 24-3 on the season and 9-2 in conference play. CW | Danielle Walker Caitlin McDermott, a junior majoring The Tide fell to UW-Whitewater but won its other in psychology said UW-Whitewater is the two games last weekend, improving to 24-3.

team’s biggest rival and has won the last two national championships. Elissa Robinson, a senior majoring in secondary education, said the team will take away several lessons from its loss. “Even though we lost on Friday night, we kept our heads up and moved on to the next game,” Robinson said. “We talked about the reasons why we lost and applied those skills to our game against Illinois.” Overall, the girls said they are happy with their performance in the tournament. “Even though we lost to WisconsinWhitewater, we learned a lot about ourselves and what we need to do to beat them,” McDermott said. “We played a fantastic game against Illinois. The energy, intensity and communication we needed was close to our best. Overall, I’m so proud of my team and how we played this weekend.”

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The men’s team went 2-2 in its tournament games this weekend. They beat Illinois 76-71 and Missouri 49-46. They lost against UTA 70-53 and UW-Whitewater 82-46. Next week, both the men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball teams will head to UTA to compete in the National Championships. McDermott said she hopes the team will bring home a title. “We are keeping our goals and the national championship game in the front of our minds, so we are preparing ourselves in our last practices together,” Robinson said. The Alabama women’s team is the No. 2 seed in the tournament, and their first matchup will be against No. 3 seed Illinois. The men go into the tournament as the No. 3 seed and will face off against No. 6 seed Southwest.

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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

SOFTBALL

SPORTSIN BRIEF Men’s golf lead extends The Alabama men’s golf team extended its lead in the second round of the Puerto Rico Classic on Monday, leading Georgia Tech by 10 shots. The final round of the tournament will begin Tuesday at 5:30 a.m. CST.

SEC honors Williams Alabama’s Ashley Williams was named SEC Women’s Basketball Freshman of the Week on Monday, earning her second weekly honor of the season. Williams averaged 18 points and 10.5 rebounds in Alabama’s wins over Mississippi State and Vanderbilt last week. CW | Austin Bigoney Despite wins over Virginia Tech and UCF last weekend, the Tide looks to improve following a loss Sunday to McNeese State.

Tide softball team heads to UAB after loss By Kelly Ward | Staff Reporter For the first time in nearly two seasons, the Alabama softball team was handed a home loss by a nonconference opponent. McNeese State ended the Crimson Tide’s run at a perfect record in the Easton Bama Bash. The last nonconference home loss came April 17, 2012, to Georgia State. “I think some of [the players] were overanxious, especially when we got down, maybe not the best pitch,” Alabama coach Patrick Murphy said. “And then when you get down, you get a little anxious, and you’re going to start swinging at anything that comes up there, and I think a couple of them do that. You’ve got to stay within yourself, just realize the situation, get on base however way you can, and pass down the baton to the next girl, and I thought we were going to do that in the seventh.” No. 9 Alabama (12-3) stranded 11 baserunners Sunday. In the end, the team couldn’t pull out a win despite starting to rally in the bottom of the seventh inning. “[McNeese State is] a very good team, a sound team, and we knew that going in,” Murphy

PLAN TO GO WHAT: Softball vs. UAB WHEN: 6 p.m. WHERE: UAB Softball Field, Birmingham said. “They just put the ball in play when they needed to. … They capitalized on who they got on because I think they only had three left on [base].” Now, the Crimson Tide turns its attention to the UAB Blazers as it travels to Birmingham on Tuesday. The UAB game is something of a home game for Alabama, at least for sophomore Haylie McCleney and junior Danae Hays. “It’s so special for me and Danae both to get to play in Birmingham at UAB,” McCleney said. “We know a lot of girls on the team, and obviously all of our family and friends come … Going to Birmingham is definitely, it’s a home trip for us. It’s nice to play in front of everyone that you know. It feels like we’re back in high school

again. It’s fun.” The team won’t have a home-field advantage despite having a 14-0 series record against the Blazers. UAB always plays well against Alabama, senior Kaila Hunt said. “It’s kind of like their World Series, Murph always tells us,” Hunt said. “Because we’re 45 minutes away, a lot of the kids are probably Alabama fans, not necessarily our fans, but they’re fans of the school, and so they always play great against us. So we cannot play how we played [Sunday] against them, because they will beat us because it’s a huge game for them.” The last time Alabama played at UAB, the Crimson Tide won 8-4. The Blazers (3-7) are coming off an 11-inning loss to No. 19 South Alabama. Still, the Tide views the Blazers like any other opponent. “It is what it is,” sophomore Leona Lafaele said. “It doesn’t matter who we play. What we’re looking at is beating them, pitch by pitch, inning by inning, play by play. UAB’s no different from McNeese like UAB’s no different from Oklahoma. UAB is UAB, and we’re going to come with our A-game no matter who it is. We’ve just got to keep stringing them together and get better.”

Tide jumps to No. 4 The Crimson Tide gymnastics team is ranked No. 4 nationally in the latest rankings. Alabama’s ranking this week is based on its regional qualifying score, 197.14. Regional qualifying scores are taken from a team’s top three road scores and next three highest scores. The team’s highest score is dropped, and the remaining five scores are averaged to determine the ranking. Alabama is also ranked No. 4 on vault and balance beam and No. 6 on uneven parallel bars and floor exercise.

Volleyball hires assistant Alabama volleyball head coach Ed Allen announced the hiring of new assistant Ryan Freeburg on Monday. Freeburg coached at the University of Dayton during the 2013 season, working with setters and middle blockers. Prior to Dayton, he spent two years as an assistant coach at George Washington University. Compiled by Kayla Montgomery and Charlie Potter

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