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CULTURE PAGE 7
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Serving the University of Alabama since 1894
Vol. 119, Issue 95
SPORTS | BASKETBALL
March Madness hopes fading fast
National writers note Bama’s slim chances By Marc Torrence Assistant Sports Editor The Alabama men’s basketball team will face the Auburn Tigers at 6 p.m. in Coleman Coliseum, and more than just an in-state rivalry and revenge for an early February loss will be on the line. The Crimson Tide’s loss at
LSU last Saturday left Alabama’s chances at a second straight NCAA tournament berth hanging by a thread. Before the loss, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi listed Alabama in the “next four out” group in his NCAA tournament projections. In the latest RPI rating, which was released Monday, the Crimson Tide dropped three spots from 59-62, putting it squarely on the bubble. “Certainly I think Alabama’s on the outside looking in right now,”
said Jeff Goodman, a national college basketball writer for CBSSports.com. “You can deal with resume losses, but right now bad losses, which is kind of what that is even though LSU’s gotten better, isn’t going to help their situation of being on the right side of the bubble.” It’s a situation Alabama has faced before under head coach Anthony Grant. In 2011, Grant’s second year on the job, the Crimson Tide won the SEC West,
but early season losses to Seton Hall, Iowa and St. Peter’s doomed what chances Alabama had at reaching the big dance. Last year, however, the Crimson Tide overcame a four-game losing streak in conference play and finished strong to clinch a berth in the tournament. Unfortunately for Alabama, 2013 looks to be shaping up a lot like 2011.
CW | Shannon Auvil
Alabama’s bleak tournament hopes hinge on successs against SEE BASKETBALL PAGE 8 Auburn at home and convincing wins to close out season.
NEWS | NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS, PART TWO NEWS | DRUG RAIDS
Arrests spark discourse Students say officer removed fliers for meeting from dorms By Adrienne Burch and Madison Roberts | CW Staff
Non-traditional students describe families, sacrifices
a full-time student. I have the 15-year-old over here doing schoolwork, Gene is over there doing schoolwork and I am doing schoolwork, and it’s a By Alexandra Ellsworth sandwich and Ramen noodle Staff Reporter night.” But the Randles try to make Kristy Randle is 42 years old and spends five days a week liv- Saturday night a family night ing on a boat with her husband when they are back at home in and her 15-year-old son, who is Springville, Ala. “About a year ago, my 15 in high school. Cynthia Blake is 30, worked in various restau- year-old said to me, ‘Mom, do rants for more than a decade, you realize that we have eaten and married a man with two more processed foods since you special needs sons. The two have been back in college than we have my entire life?’ That’s women are both the day I realized sacrificing time that I was kind and money to of sucking as a come back to mom,” Randle I was like, okay, what do I the University said. “So now we and try to earn say to these people who are make it a point degrees, and 10 years younger than me? on Saturday from balancing nights when time between — Kristy Randle we go back to their families Springville that and their studthe dining room ies to bridggets cleaned off ing the age gap between themselves and their and Gene and I get in the kitchclassmates, they face daily chal- en and we have a really good lenges shared by the 2,323 other sit-down meal together. And non-traditional students on the because we are going so much during the week we don’t get Capstone’s campus. “Now I am just really tired to sit-down and have conversabecause I have been burning tions every night like we used the candle at both ends,” Randle to, but on Saturdays, we do.” Another challenge non-tradisaid. “My family took our first vacation in four years, and I tional students can face is fitting think I did more schoolwork in with their classmates, who are several years their junior. than I did hiking.” “When I first started, it was Financially, there is also the challenge of juggling the bills to weird because I was in a classpay for school and taking care of room full of people my sister’s age and I was like, okay, what her family. “The simple act of cooking do I say to these people who dinner and having dinner as a are 10 years younger than me?” family has been hard,” Randle Randle said. said. “We live on a 35-foot boat. SEE STUDENTS PAGE 3 Everyone in my household is
Randle, Blake give up more than most
“
vil
CW | Shannon Au
r Sensible of Students fo at a meett en id es pr vice ees Matt Larkin, out 35 attend addressed ab . Drug Policy, rg night at the Fe ing Monday
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espite reports that a UAPD officer removed signs from Palmer Hall advertising a meeting of the Alabama Chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy Monday afternoon, about 35 people gathered that night in the Ferguson Center to discuss plans for a student rally in retaliation to the Feb. 19 arrest of 61 UA students on drug charges. Joe Hoffsommer, the president of SSDP, said the group does not condone or condemn marijuana
use. They just want to amend the zero-tolerance policy on drugs. “We were an inactive group, but after the recent drug raids, we want to become active again,” Hoffsommer said. “We think there should be some steps taken, and we don’t agree with the proceedings of the law enforcement. We understand they were doing their job, but our main stance is that we don’t think substance abuse, especially in the case of cannabis, is a criminal issue, it’s
more of a health care issue.” Matt Larkin, vice president of SSDP, proposed a solution to what punishment he believes would be fair. “Instead of arresting drug users, cops should take away whatever substance it was and refer them to a rehab center,” Larkin said. “It should be more of a rehabilitation, compassionate stance than a criminal stance.” SEE FLIERS PAGE 2 Photo Illustration by CW | Mackenzie Brown
NEWS | ART
Figure drawing class allows students to learn techniques, anatomy Nude models give artists live subjects By Megan Miller Staff Reporter The brushstrokes of a handful of UA art students in a classroom in Woods Hall are transforming the way the models volunteering for the figure drawing class see themselves as the students explore creativity and various er • Plea s
er • Plea
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ecycle this p
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drawing techniques. “As a woman, I have this mental picture of myself, and it’s hard to see myself from anyone else’s perspective,” said Teri Hasemeyer, a model for the class and senior majoring in journalism and dance. “Literally seeing what other people see about my physical body helps me to have a realistic image of what I really look like to people, and to be honest, it is beautiful. It has been encouraging and enlightening
INSIDE today’s paper
“A greater emphasis is placed on creativity, expresLiterally seeing what other people see about my physical body helps me to sion and sensitivity to the have a realistic image of what I really look like to people, and to be honarrangement of visual eleest, it is beautiful. It has been encouraging and enlightening in that way. ments as they seek to capture the vitality of a figure,” — Teri Hasemeyer Herbert said. While the class is comprised mostly of live drawing exercisin that way.” relationship to drawing the es using a model, Herbert said Anne Herbert, instructor human figure. the class also explores materiof the class and graduate stuDuring the classes, Herbert als, process and concept. dent, describes the class as one said students will learn how to “In addition, critiques and that seeks to develop visual draw figures using correct pro- class discussions will take acuity and self-expression in portions and anatomy. place throughout the course to
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provide feedback, growth and respectful dialogue,” Herbert said. “The class is fast paced and fun and a lot of explorations into materials and techniques are possible when the subject of drawing is decided.” Ally Mabry, a junior majoring in digital media and printmaking currently enrolled in the class, said she had been excited to take figure drawing since she was a freshman. SEE DRAWING PAGE 7
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Kate Ragsdale was the victim of a homicide. The investigation by the Tuscaloosa A 73-year-old retired Police Department is still University of Alabama faculty ongoing. member was found dead in her Ragsdale was employed home in The Highlands neigh- at the University from 1979 borhood on Sunday afternoon. until her retirement in
2006. Ragsdale worked in the Business Library and in 1987 was made planning officer with the library administration. “Kate Ragsdale played a key role in the growth and development of the
University Libraries in her long career as a planning officer, and had remained actively involved with the UA Retiree Association since her retirement in 2006. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends during this
difficult time,” Deborah Lane, associate vice president for University Relations, said in a statement on Monday. Ragsdale was awarded the University of Alabama Library Leadership Board’s Faculty Award in 2004.
what we are. We don’t want to give law enforcement any ammo against us.” SSDP is currently in the process of getting a permit so they can legally protest or rally on campus, and they have a Facebook page to promote the movement. Several witnesses saw UAPD officers taking down signs advertising Monday’s meeting of the Alabama Chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy. Frank Thagard, 2010 UA alumnus, said he was in the
basement of Palmer Hall, which houses the Mallet Assembly, on Sunday evening when an officer approached him and his friends about the flier. “At first I thought he was going to tell us to stop playing music because we were being too loud or something, but as he came closer I saw he had in his hand a flier,” Thagard said. He said he noticed the flier said something about a meeting about the drug busts that happened recently. “He told us that he’d been going around from dorm to
dorm pulling them down and asked us if we knew who put them up,” Thagard said. “We didn’t and told him we didn’t.” Thagard was not the only person who witnessed UAPD officers taking down the fliers. Eric Jesse, a sophomore, said he was standing outside of a dorm on Friday night when a he saw an officer leaving Paty and approaching his building. “He proceeded to walk into the building,” Jesse said. “I then looked through the window and saw he had removed one of the posters about the meeting
regarding last week’s arrests.” Jesse said after the officer left his building, he started to head off into the direction of the next dorm. “I assume he proceeded to do the same,” Jesse said Henry Perkins, a senior majoring in anthropology, said he also witnessed signs being torn down. “I don’t want my home to be invaded by police, ever,” Perkins said. “I have protested before; I will protest again.” Anna Waters and Will Tucker contributed to this report.
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One idea that was proposed at the meeting was getting a petition of students who were for changing the policy and working with the administration about equalizing the penalties for alcohol and drugs. “We don’t want to sound like a bunch of hippies who want to sit around and smoke dope,” Hoffsommer said. “That’s not
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Chloe Ledet 348-6153 Keenan Madden 348-2670 Camille Dishongh 348-6875 Will Whitlock 348-8735 Amy Metzler osmspecialprojects3@gmail.com Jake Morrow osmspecialprojects2@gmail.com The Crimson White is the community newspaper of The University of Alabama. The Crimson White is an editorially free newspaper produced by students. The University of Alabama cannot influence editorial decisions and editorial opinions are those of the editorial board and do not represent the official opinions of the University. Advertising offices of The Crimson White are in room 1014, Student Media Building, 414 Campus Drive East. The advertising mailing address is P.O. Box 870170, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487. The Crimson White (USPS 138020) is published four times weekly when classes are in session during Fall and Spring Semester except for the Monday after Spring Break and the Monday after Thanksgiving, and once a week when school is in session for the summer. Marked calendar provided. The Crimson White is provided for free up to three issues. Any other papers are $1.00. The subscription rate for The Crimson White is $125 per year. Checks should be made payable to The University of Alabama and sent to: The Crimson White Subscription Department, P.O. Box 870170, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487. The Crimson White is entered as periodical postage at Tuscaloosa, AL 35401. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Crimson White, P.O. Box 870170, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487. All material contained herein, except advertising or where indicated otherwise, is Copyright © 2013 by The Crimson White and protected under the “Work Made for Hire” and “Periodical Publication” categories of the U.S. copyright laws. Material herein may not be reprinted without the expressed, written permission of The Crimson White.
country’s history. John Evans — the nameEVANSTON, Ill. — sake of the city of Evanston Responding to pressure — was territorial governor of from a student alliance, Colorado in 1864 when a miliNorthwestern University tia of about 700 men attacked a has established a commit- temporary village of Southern tee to investigate the history Cheyenne and Arapaho peoof John Evans, a university ple at Sand Creek. According founder connected to one to the National Park Service, of the worst massacres of the soldiers killed 165 to 200 Native Americans in the Native Americans, about two-
thirds of them women, children and elderly. Known as the Sand Creek Massacre, it is considered one of the worst acts of genocide in the country’s history. According to the Native American and Indigenous Student Alliance at Northwestern, the university has ignored that part of Evans’ history.
In a statement, Provost Daniel Linzer said: “The year 2014 will mark the 150th anniversary of Sand Creek, so it is appropriate to assess how and what we report about John Evans as part of our institutional history, and if and in what way we should continue to recognize his contributions to the university. Evans was a railroad
magnate who had a vested interest in train lines running through Colorado. The committee will look into whether Northwestern received financial support from Evans that “could be attributed to wealth he obtained as a result of policies and practices he pursued while territorial governor regarding the Native American populations there.”
N EWS Students ďŹ nd it difďŹ cult to read for pleasure
Page 3
Assistant Editors | Chandler Wright and Adrienne Burch newsdesk@cw.ua.edu Tuesday, February 26, 2013
By Ben Clark Contributing Writer
got out of the habit of reading all the time, and I have so much reading for class, that I don’t want to read for fun anymore,� Leverette said. Some students feel the problem of having to choose between class reading and reading for pleasure could be solved simply by professors working together when assigning readings, which would prevent overwhelming students. Candace Hill, a junior majoring in English, understands the struggle of
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said. “When I visited her, I noticed how many friends she had made on her hall, and I was really jealous because the only people I know on my hall are my RA and the people who live in the suite with me.� Alexis Browning, a freshman majoring in psychology, said she thinks the reason people who live in suite-style dorms don’t make friends on their hall is because suite-style housing promotes an introverted environment. “By allowing people to have their own room, they have the ability to just lock themselves away, and they aren’t forced to go out and meet people,� Browning said. “I never thought I would be thankful for living in Tutwiler, but I definitely am. There is always something going on, and there’s never really a moment where I am sitting in my room alone.� However, students who choose to live in the traditional dorms left on campus are not always fond of their environment. Abby Ruffin, a freshman majoring in French, said when she first signed up to live in Tutwiler, she thought she would
make friends, but said she feels out of place because she isn’t in a sorority. “I first thought living in Tutwiler would be a really good experience because it’s all girls and traditional, so I thought I would make a lot of friends, but I honestly haven’t,� Ruffin said. “I’m not in a sorority, so I live a different life than most of the girls on my hall, and I guess that bothers them. Also, Tutwiler is absolutely disgusting. If I could do this all over again, I would definitely want to live in a suitestyle dorm, but oh well, you live and you learn.� Trey Clifton, a freshman majoring in political science, said he enjoys living in Ridgecrest because it gives him space to study, and he likes not having to depend on a roommate. “I am a very clean person, and I like having my own space where I don’t have to worry about someone else’s mess,� Clifton said. “It makes me feel more independent, and I think having a roommate would just create a lot of arguments. I would rather just live alone. There are other ways to make
A Paty resident watches TV in his room. friends, like joining a fraternity dents should have to live in or a student organization.� traditional housing at some Jack Mitchell, a freshman point in their lifetime. majoring in business, lives in “I think it should be mandaPaty and said he wishes he had tory for students to live in tramore privacy. ditional residence halls their “I like it because it has ben- freshman year,� Browning said. efited me socially, but some- “That’s what our parents did; times I just need space to that’s what I’m doing, and it defiblast music and block out nitely hasn’t hurt me. Yeah, it’s the world, and my roommate kind of disgusting and you have doesn’t understand that,� to wear shower shoes, but it’s Mitchell said. “He never leaves such a great experience to have, the room.� and it’s where I’ve made my best Browning thinks all stu- friends.�
toward school. She inspired me to work harder and really want to understand how to write for our PR class.� Laura Monroe, a senior majoring in journalism, also said Randle was inspiring to her, and Randle’s different perspective on life was beneficial when editing Monroe’s stories. “Having Kristy in my class didn’t really change the way I experienced the course, so I wouldn’t say that it caused anything to be different,� Monroe said. “We worked together often during the class and edited each other’s papers a few times. She is a few years older than me and has a family of her own, but Kristy is just like every other student. She is here to get an education that will help her reach her dreams.� Cassandra Nelson, a first year master’s student majoring in literature, said she admired nontraditional students for their work ethic and dedication to return to school. “I think it’s great that they have the opportunity to go back to college and pursue their dreams and goals,� Nelson said. “Personally, I kind of admire them for going back to college at that stage in their lives. I know if I already had a steady job and a family, you could not pay me to go back to college. So, I think
it’s really admirable that they are willing to work so hard to achieve their goals or dreams.� Nelson also found it easy to get along with older students in her classes. “Usually, because of their age and experience, they provided a different take and insight on things that the rest of the class never would have thought of,� she said. Randle said it was sometimes funny to find herself the same age, or even older, than some of her professors. “I have to catch myself,� she said. “Sometimes it’s hard for me to remember to call some of my professors who are younger than me Dr. or Mrs. And I signed up for Dr. Roberts’ ethics class last semester and had to drop it because I had too much other stuff going on with my research. And [Dr. Roberts] was like, ‘But I was really looking forward to having someone my own in age in a class for once!’� Randle and Blake opted to return to campus and complete their degrees rather than pursuing one online, but the University does offer online options for adult students age 25 and older through the New College Life Track program. “We serve students at a distance so they can finish up in their own time, and not be bound
by semesters,� Ana Schuber, the Life Track program manager, said. “They only have to come to campus one time for orientation.� Schuber said any other visits to campus would be optional. They offer weekend courses though for those who wish to have more interaction. Currently Life Track has 300 to 350 students. Students in the program can pick an area of depth study such as, Literature, Art and Society, Science, Technology and Culture, Leadership Studies, Community Studies, as well as Self-Designed areas. Upon completion of the program, they earn a Bachelors of Science or a Bachelors of Arts from The University of Alabama. For Alexis Barton, Life Track was a life-changing experience. Barton entered the program at age 25 in 2006. She graduated in May 2010 and said she appreciated the flexibility the program gave her. “When you do something you think you can’t do, the beliefs you hold about your own abilities change,� she said. “Your dreams shift. Possibilities emerge that you didn’t see before. The supportive environment and the mentoring relationships I’ve benefited from helped me believe that
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a degree was not out of reach, and the freedom to explore scholarly research at my own pace deepened my intellectual curiosity.� Barton currently works in Birmingham for SameChicDifferentDay.com, a popular blog she recently launched. William Carter graduated from the University through Life Track at age 49 and went on to get his master’s degree. “I got my masters in two years,� he said. “That tells me this is a worthwhile program.� Online classes did not appeal to Blake, though, who prefers a classroom setting. “I don’t do very well online because I don’t have enough discipline to do it,� Blake said. However, Randle said she loves online classes. “If I could have finished both of my degrees degree online, I would have,� she said. “Where else can you get a study and get a degree in your pajamas drinking coffee?� But Randle’s two areas of discipline were not offered online. “I could have gone somewhere else I guess and gotten it through some ABC or XYZ University, but I wanted a meaningful education,� she said. “And that is what I am getting at Alabama.�
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Blake said it’s easier in classes for her major. “In my journalism classes I do better, but when I had classes outside my major and minors, it was kind of hard because we had less common ground,� she said. Despite the age gap between herself and other students, Randle said she has found everyone in her classes so far to be great. “The first couple of days of a new class are always awkward, but when you get a couple of weeks into classes and they’re asking me questions and I am asking them questions, and you cultivate a friendship,� she said. Students who had classes with Randle said it was not uncomfortable to have someone older as a classmate. They agreed that Randle was hardworking and great to work with. “I love the idea of people coming back to school, I think it’s very respectable,� Kassondra Marshall, a junior majoring in public relations, said. “I really enjoyed working with and getting to know Kristy. I admired her story and her attitude
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Over the past decade there has been a major shift on The University of Alabama campus from traditional to suite-style dorms. The University no longer builds traditional dorms like Tutwiler and Paty, where students share a single room with another student and live in an entire building of the same gender. Instead, the University has built numerous luxury suitestyle dorms like Ridgecrest, Riverside, Lakeside and the latest, Presidential Village, where each student gets his or her own room, shares a bathroom with one other student and shares a common area with a kitchenette with the rest of their suite. Some students find this shift to living in suite-style dorms limits them from making friends because there isn’t as much of a need to talk to people on their hall. “I have a friend who goes to UGA, where living in a suitestyle dorm as a freshman is unheard of,� Emily Messer, a freshman majoring in English,
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I get overwhelmed by my classes,� Schumann said. While the members of the book club maintain their reading by meeting at least once a month, other students outside of the club find it even harder to find extra time to read. Maggie Leverette, a sophomore majoring in finance, said she believes even if she joined a book club, she wouldn’t have time to read. “Since I started college, I’ve found that my desire to read has decreased just because I
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just five consistent members. Erica Schumann, a sophomore majoring in history and anthropology, who is a member of the book club, said she feels it is difficult for college students to find time to read for pleasure. “I’ve never been able to balance my reading very well. Sometimes my classwork suffers because I get really into a book and can’t focus on anything else until I finish it, or sometimes I won’t read for enjoyment for weeks because
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As members of the digital generation, most would believe today’s college students no longer read for pleasure, mostly because of the growth of technology in their lifetimes. Classic novels now have movie adaptations that can be watched, and breaking news can be read in a tweet of less than 140 characters. However, according to a recent survey, students still want to read for pleasure, but instead of technology getting in the way, students’ classwork is preventing them from doing outside reading. The survey, which was released by College & Research Libraries, polled more than 700 students at Gustavus Adolphus College, along with librarians from all over the country. While 93 percent of the students polled agreed they read for pleasure, more than 77 percent of those same students said they didn’t have time for recreational reading because they had too much class-assigned reading. Many students at The University of Alabama match the findings of the survey. While the University itself boasts a growing population of over 33,000 students, the Honors College book club has
too much class reading. “I read around a total of 30 novels last semester alone. Several of them were 400600 pages. Not only does that leave little time to analyze the material in-depth, but it also eliminates the possibility of outside reading,� Hill said. However, time has not changed the curriculum, or what is required of professors. Ash Bowen, a professor in the English department, said she believes things haven’t changed since he was in college. “When I was an undergraduate majoring in English, I typically had no time for pleasure reading. Taking 15 hours of literature courses – with each course having around seven novels on the the syllabus for a total of 35 novels in a single semester – certainly cut down the time I had for extra reading,� Bowen said. Although, it has affected the way he teaches his course. “But at the same time I have to maintain the integrity of the course, the University, and my position and assign the material that needs to be covered,� he said. “I simply do my best to ensure that the readings are in small enough chunks that students don’t feel overwhelmed and are still getting the necessary works covered.�
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Page 4 Editor | John Brinkerhoff letters@cw.ua.edu Tuesday, February 26, 2013
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University should not reward police overreach By Brad Erthal Senior Staff Columnist
CW | Kevin Pabst
SMOKING BAN
UA smoking ban debate founded on falsehoods By John Brinkerhoff Opinion Editor It seems two of the most cited statistics in the smoking ban debate are the percentage of UA smokers climbs from 6 percent freshman year to 16 percent senior year, and 58 percent of students support a campuswide smoking ban. If true and correctly obtained, these statistics, which were collected in a Health and Wellness Survey last spring, are telling. However, a quick look into this survey reveals they were not correctly obtained and as a result, are certainly not an accurate representation of student opinion. Regardless of each individual’s personal views on the issue, however, one thing which everyone should agree on is that the debate should be grounded in truth. The survey in which these numbers were obtained makes a mockery of this premise. It seeks to persuade students rather than obtain their opinion. Before asking about the ban, the survey stated: “According to the Surgeon General’s 2010 report on second-hand smoke: There is no safe level of secondhand smoke. Breathing even a little secondhand smoke can be
John Brinkerhoff
dangerous. Nearly 50,000 deaths each year are attributed to secondhand smoke, and thousands of affected people suffer from heart and lung disease due to exposure.” The statement is true; however, it is also something anyone over the age of 5 already knows. It’s only effect is to clearly stake out the position of ban supporters, which biases the student population and misleads them into believing that there is a “right” answer to these supposed opinionbased questions. Even more egregious is the wording of the actual smoking ban question, which stated: “As a leading institution in higher learning in the country, The University of Alabama promotes a healthy environment that is conducive to academic excellence and general well-being.
In order to further the University’s commitment to the health of the University, would you be in favor of The University of Alabama becoming a smoke-free campus?” By any scientific standard, this is biasing to the sample population. It is designed to manipulate students into believing that if they do not support a “smoke-free campus,” then they are against the general health and pursuit of excellence at Alabama. This bias would be particularly effective on freshmen, who may be more apt to lie about their smoking habits to fit in line with this “commitment.” That the University, which prides itself on the quality of its research, would approve and disseminate such a biased joke of a survey is absolutely shameful. There is nothing wrong with collecting student opinions for a debate over policy change. There is also nothing wrong with presenting expert opinions, such as the Surgeon General, to craft an argument. There is plenty wrong with mixing the two, especially when the selected opinions all favor one side. The results are tainted and cannot be seriously used in any discussion regarding the future of
smoking on campus. If the University is serious about this issue and if supporters of the ban are confident that students truly are tired of secondhand smoke, then there should be no issue with commissioning a new survey that adheres to some modicum of objectivity and scientific standards. Do not demean the gravity of this debate by asking leading questions. Do not waste the time of students by giving them a worthless survey with an agenda. Do not insult the intellectual integrity of this University by touting the flawed results of this survey as valid. Instead, work with both sides to create a survey that truly measures student opinion. If understanding how to do so without shoving personal biases down the throats of survey-takers proves too difficult, then seek assistance from faculty researchers who actually know how to craft opinion surveys . This campus deserves another Health and Wellness Survey. It needs to be done well, and it needs to be done right. John Brinkerhoff is the opinion editor of The Crimson White. His column runs weekly.
Last week, various state and local agencies, the U.S. Marshalls and this University wasted an enormous amount of scarce resources in an apparently successful attempt to damage the lives of 74 of our fellow citizens (61 of them students) for no good reason. In this way, they betrayed the various public trusts, which are the nominal reasons for their employment. For this they will receive their 30 pieces of silver in the ongoing War on Drug Users, assuming the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force can keep track of it. The overtime checks will be signed, and the officers are already patting themselves on the backs. If I had been tasked with drug enforcement in Alabama, and had been caught spending any time on something other than catching meth cooks, I would die of the shame. I do not mean this glibly. I would have a difficult time showing my face in public. But somehow, rather than being wracked with remorse for burning truckloads of taxpayer money in pursuit of harmless users of a relatively benign drug, our leaders are proud. The chief of the Tuscaloosa Police Department, Steven Anderson, reinforced unfortunate stereotypes about Alabama law enforcement’s critical thinking skills by affirming “it is still illegal to possess [marijuana], sell it, distribute it in the state of Alabama. Therefore, it is against the law. We are still going to enforce the law, no matter how harmless people think it is.” Littering is also illegal in this state, and yet people do it all the time. You can’t walk outside in our fair city without stepping on a cigarette butt. The police could spend their time staking out public places, waiting for litter bugs, and citing them as soon as they throw a cigarette to the ground. They don’t do this because they are busy. Law enforcement has limited resources, and chooses which crimes are worth pursuing and which are not. Thus, it is surreal to hear Mr. Anderson tell us that something is illegal, and therefore multiple law enforcement agencies needed to hire criminal informants in a two month coordinated effort to pursue people violating a specific statute. “It is illegal, so it must be stopped,” sounds more like the catchphrase of an obsessivecompulsive vigilante than the utterance of a professional. UA President and temperance movement throwback
Brad Erthal
Judy Bonner crowed about the University’s attempts to protect students from “choices about substance abuse that can have such a significant and negative impact on their lives and others, including their families, their friends, other students and this University.” I copied and pasted that from the email, lest I be accused of misquoting her. This ignores the obvious fact that the major negative impacts from marijuana are precisely the arrest and subsequent penalization of average citizens, not the direct effects of the drug. Young people, in college or not, tend to experiment. We arbitrarily burden some of those experimenters with criminal records. Others, both randomly and in nefarious systematic ways, walk away with no adverse consequences. The result is a country in which the last three Presidents have all admitted to marijuana use, while a significant proportion of the adult population is incarcerated for the same crime, and many more face significant legal and professional consequences. Instead of helping to perpetuate this incredibly stupid system, the University should drop its zero-tolerance policy, and do what’s right for its students. The Task Force has been increasing its number of cases, without producing many more defendants, presumably because they can ruin people’s lives with drug arrests even without getting convictions. Rather than rewarding the police for shoddy work, the University should take no action to deprive these students of their educations. Some of you are planning to protest, but I sense that the message might be vague. While I support full legalization of marijuana, and as a Colorado native, I got to vote for such a measure last year, I am doubtful that that will soon be accomplished in Alabama. Instead, let your rallying cry be to protect your fellow students from the harm caused by overzealous and senseless enforcement of a silly law.
Brad Erthal is a doctoral student in economics. His column runs on Tuesdays.
CULTURE
Differences between American and English universities must be recognized By Lucy Cheseldine Staff Columnist On one of my regular tea breaks this week, I stumbled across an interesting BBC Radio 4 program. The familiar voices were weighing the benefits of gaining practical experience alongside degree courses. This is something America does much better than the UK. Most college students here are encouraged to spend their summers gaining work experience or undertaking internships. There are also many more opportunities to gain experience in an industry as part of your college courses or
working in. The UK seems to take a different angle. English education has an obsession for specialising. We are immediately out of sixth form and already being asked to choose one subject to study, to spend the next three years pouring out our mind, body and soul over. That’s all well and good for gaining inLucy Cheseldine depth knowledge and I by no means object to the English in exchange for college cred- university system – indeed, I it. This means U.S. students am proud of our institutions. However, it does pose the come off their degree program already having gone some way problem that we have little diato building up their resumes logue between the arts and sciand knowing, more directly, ences. It also leaves little room the industry they want to start for British degree courses to
EDITORIAL BOARD Will Tucker Editor-in-Chief Ashley Chaffin Managing Editor Stephen Dethrage Production Editor Mackenzie Brown Visuals Editor
Melissa Brown Online Editor Alex Clark Community Manager Ashanka Kumari Chief Copy Editor John Brinkerhoff Opinions Editor
merge with practical experience. Because our studies are so specific, we tend to keep our education within the realms of the university. I have found that placements and encouragement to gain experience are much more part of the American way. Perhaps this is because education here is partly based on preparation for industry, something British institutions do not yet acknowledge to such an extent. Or indeed tend not to be so concerned with. There is nowhere near as much encouragement to get hands-on work alongside your degree as there is here. I spent another of my daily
tea breaks researching and applying for summer internships here in the U.S., which of course turned into more of an extended and complicated few hours of sifting through incomprehensible application processes than a break. I’m in two minds. I admire the United States’ emphasis on constantly looking to gain practical experience. But after all the hours spent applying, I just hope it isn’t blighting the main focus of college students: college. At the end of the day, we are here to make use of our institution and benefit from the resources it offers as much as we can. Perhaps my mother has it
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right. After retiring, she has begun an art degree. They offer her an intellectually directed education in art history alongside a practical course in making art itself. The course offers the best of both worlds. I have no answers to this dilemma. But any which way you look at it, the job market just tells us to grab anything and everything we can that might help us along the way. Just keep moving. That’s what I have been telling myself.
Lucy Cheseldine is an English international student studying English literature. Her column runs weekly on Tuesdays.
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Tuesday, February 26, 2013 | Page 5
From sedans to vans, students can rent UA vehicles By Tori Linville Contributing Writer Students, organizations and others connected with The University of Alabama interested in using University vehicles instead of their own can access vans and other vehicles through the Fleet Services of the University’s Driver Safety and Vehicle Management Program. Those looking to operate a University vehicle can do so after qualifying for driver requirements, filling out the Application for Use of a State Owned Automobile and paying a rental charge. Fleet Services provides options of a sedan, a
“
We’ll sometimes go and pick up the vans at 6 in the morning before Fleet Services is even open, keep them for a week, and return them with no problems. They work very well with us on our reservations, even if we have to make a last-minute change, the director will try to work with us in solving the problems. — Barbara Grimes
seven passenger mini-van, a 12 passenger van or a cargo van. D r ive r requirements include a minimum age of 21, no less than three years of driving experience, a valid driver’s license, signed authorization allowing the University to access the
driver’s Motor Vehicle Record and completion of an online training program. Once the paperwork is filed and the driver is cleared, Fleet Services provides the vehicle to be rented. The daily rates for renting sedans, seven passenger vans and 12 passenger vans are $49, $59 and $79 respectively. Bob Pugh, director of Risk Management, said the vans
are typically new, and they’re well maintained. “They have the current equipment in the way of traction control, stability control, airbags; they’re more crash-worthy than the older vans,” Pugh said. “We know the history of the vans – we know if the van has had the oil changed, the brakes checked, the tires checked, air pressure, headlights, windshield wipers – all the little things so when you go to pick it up to take it on a trip, it’s ready to go.” Organizations such as various sports clubs like women’s rugby and even the equestrian club use the well-serviced vans to their advantage. Coordinator of Sports Clubs, Wyant Boreson, explained the process of paperwork students have
to undertake. “The [students] turn in the request form, they’ll give it to me, I’ll fill out the necessary accounting information and I’ll send that to Fleet Services,” Boreson said. “We make sure the students fill out the MVR form as well with their information, and I’ll send that to Risk Management, and then the student is notified of the required online training course. It really just helps the time process, and if there’s missing information, I act as the contact for Risk Management.” In addition to efficient time management and coordination, Fleet Services aims to provide excellent customer service, Barbara Grimes, office associate at the Community Service
Center, said. “We’ll sometimes go and pick up the vans at 6 in the morning before Fleet Services is even open, keep them for a week, and return them with no problems,” Grimes said. “They work very well with us on our reservations, even if we have to make a last-minute change, the director will try to work with us in solving the problems.” Along with the vans Fleet Services provides, the University’s Driver Safety and Vehicle Management Program rents out other vehicles including cars, golf and utility carts, garbage trucks and even bucket trucks. For more information about the Fleet Services, visit fleet.ua.edu.
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The first black president of the National Alumni Association challenged members of The University of Alabama’s Black Student Union to facilitate and enhance the academic success of black students during the annual Black State of the Union address on Monday night. President Andre Taylor addressed members of the Black Student Union, an organization that focuses on black student empowerment within the University. The purpose of this event was to recognize the progress that black students on this campus have made within the past year. “You know how the president has a state of union for the entire United States, well, this event is an address focusing on the African-American community of campus,” senior Kyle Fraizer, vice president of the Black Student Union, said.
The overall message of this event was one to focus more on goals that are already in the Black Student Union. “The theme of my presentation is obstacles and opportunities; something you are moving toward and becoming like. It’s really just what you think about the most,” Taylor said. Kayla James, president of the Black Student Union, said they started the event in conjunction with the NAACP. “It’s really an annual event to talk about how far we’ve come and the problems that we face today,” James said. This event also serves as a venue for older black students on campus to try to influence students within the University. “It’s to get minority students involved, but by using a different perspective than we usually use. It’s more like alumni trying to influence student minds,” Fraizer said. Black students also use this address as a way to become knowledgeable and
CW | Shannon Auvi
The National Alumni Association’s first black president, Andre Taylor understand ways to improve to inspire black students race relations on campus. on campus. “I was able to learn more “Every year we try to uplift and to be more aware about our students and bring in a race relations on this cam- speaker who understands pus and what we can do to what it’s like to be a student improve the state of African- at UA and we just try to help Americans on this cam- our students be inspired even pus,” Kimiko McKenzie, though it’s kind of late within a sophomore majoring in the school year, we believe biology, said. February is a great time to Kaiya Arroyo, secretary of reflect and still have the abilthe Black Student Union, said ity to change what we desire Taylor’s address also served to change,” Arroyo said.
Page 6 | Tuesday, February 26, 2013
NEWS
OPINION
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348-RIDE anticipates 22% increase in passengers By Colby Leopard and Justin Heck CW Staff 348-RIDE and 348-RIDE Express projected to have 170,128 total riders in 2013, an increase of 22 percent from last year, when the program had a combined total of 137,214 riders, up from 120,332 total riders in 2011. 348-RIDE began in November 2007 as an on-demand service provided by the UA Transit Department that transports students around campus and neighboring areas after Crimson Ride night hours end at 10 p.m. The program began with three eight-passenger vans and carried 626 riders in the first two months. Now, 348-RIDE has a fleet
but it has expanded. We realize that not all students just need a ride to go the library,” Clayton • 170,128 total riders said. “We try to support the overall safety of our students.” projected for 2013 348-RIDE is typically busiest • 137,214 total riders in during the weekend. “On weekdays, we aver2012 age 300 or 400 passengers per night,” Clayton said. “On • 120,332 total riders in Friday and Saturday, we average about 700 or even up to 2011 1,000 passengers per night.” In order to deal with the increased volume of calls on of nine 12-passenger vans, 12 the weekends, the UA Transit drivers and three dispatchers. Department and SGA worked Ralph Clayton, direc- together to create 348-RIDE tor of transit services at the Express in 2009. University of Alabama, said the “The SGA is the one that focus of 348-RIDE has expand- came up with the model for ed from its original purpose. 348-RIDE Express in order to “The primary focus of 348- help relieve some of the stress RIDE is academic in nature, on the regular 348-RIDE. We
FAST FACTS
History department to host head of Peruvian think tank By Alex Eigel Contributing Writer Jorge Ortiz-Sotelo, chairman of the Peruvian Institute of Politics and Economics, will be delivering a lecture titled “Defeating the Shining Path: A Lesson in Combating Terrorism in Peru” from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in 205 Gorgas Library. Ortiz-Sotelo will be speaking on his experience as a Peruvian marine in the final battles between the military forces of Peru in the late 1980s and the capture of the leader of the Shining Path Movement. “He will give students an inside look at someone who participated in a long war to suppress the Shining Path and improve life,” said history professor, Lawrence Clayton, a close friend of Ortiz-Sotelo’s.
“He was involved in a defining moment in modern Peru. He has occupied some pretty important posts in Peru. He was the head in commission of the settlement of a longtime border dispute between Peru and Ecuador, and has been involved in different levels of diplomacy.” Together, Clayton and OrtizSotelo meet on a regular basis to write about the history of maritime across the Americas. As chairman of the Peruvian Institute of Politics and Economics, Ortiz-Sotelo is the brains behind a think tank that produces paper on issues of national importance that affect the course of national politics and international relations, Clayton said. Among his numerous accomplishments and responsibilities, Ortiz-Sotelo is also the
IF YOU GO... • What: ‘Defeating the Shining Path: A Lesson in Combating Terrorism in Peru’ lecture • When: Tuesday, 3 - 4:30 p.m. • Where: 205 Gorgas editor of an international journal and works in several organizations with members across Latin America and Europe. While visiting the University, Ortiz-Sotelo will also be lecturing privately in different classes on the relations between Peru and Cuba. The lecture held in 205 Gorgas Tuesday is free and open to the public.
found that a number of students wanted to go to the same locations,” Clayton said. 348-RIDE Express runs a fixed route around campus from 9 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. from Thursday until Sunday. Although most students feel 348-RIDE is an overall helpful system, some have had issues getting through to the dispatchers. Luke Kiszla, a sophomore majoring in history and theatre, said he has encountered this problem several times. “The main trouble is getting through the automated system,” Kiszla said. “Once I talk to a dispatcher, they’re so help-
ful at getting me a ride. ...The automated system is just hard to navigate sometimes.” Kiszla said he has used 348RIDE to get home from bars downtown after his band plays. He said he believes that 348RIDE could benefit from linking Google maps, a mobile GPS device, to the dispatchers. Ultimately, Kiszla believes 348-RIDE is an important resource on campus that promotes student safety and is also a partial solution to the lack of parking spaces on campus. “It’s a good system overall. It’s helped me and my
friends make safe choices following parties,” Kiszla said. “If only the parking situation was better in town, I wouldn’t have to worry about leaving my car when I take 348-RIDE.” Students can also log on to 348ride.ua.edu with their myBama username and password to select a pick-up and drop-off location. Apps to request rides from 348-RIDE are available on iOS and Android smartphones. “RideCell” is available in the iTunes App Store and “U. Alabama 348Ride” is available in the Google Play Store.
RESEARCH RESCUE Drop -in Research Help Research paper due soon and you haven’t started? Librarians are always available to help with developing your topic, finding resources, and citing sources.
University Libraries Special Research Rescue Hours Available Mon. - Thurs. 4-6pm Gorgas Library 1st Floor Information Desk February 18 - April 25
www.lib.ua.edu
2013 - 2014 SELECTIONS The UA Student Recruitment Team serves as host to prospective students and student athletes, through resident hall tours, lunches, phone blitzes, informational sessions, gameday activities, etc.
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Members of this team will provide guidance and offer insight to students and their families regarding campus life, student involvement, athletics, and the enrollment process.
MANDATORY CONVOCATION We will discuss the selction process: Monday, February 25 and Wednesday, February 27 at 8:00 p.m. in Room 159 (Auditorium) of Russel Hall You have the option to attend Monday night OR Wednesday night-you do not have to attend both, but attendance at one IS MANDATORY Failure to attend one of the convocations will result in automatic disqualification of the applicant.
APPLICATION DEADLINE FRIDAY MARCH 1ST AT 5PM 1ST ROUND INTERVIEWS: MARCH 11-15 2ND ROUND INTERVIEWS: MARCH 18-22 For more information and to download the application, please visit:
http://gobama.ua.edu/uastudentrecruitmentteam
C ULTURE Union, Confederate documents held in Hoole Library
Page 7
NEWS OPINION CULTURE SPORTS
By Deanne Winslett Staff Reporter From its beginning in 1948, the W. S. Hoole Special Collections Library has been home to thousands of books, manuscripts photos and more, dating back as far as the 15th century. Many other collections, each with an independent focus, also contribute to the history archived at the University of Alabama. Two of the main collections contribute to the archiving of Southern and Alabama history: the W.S. Hoole Collection and the A.S. Williams Collection. “The W.S. Hoole Collection and the A.S. Williams Collection are similar in that both support the study of Southern history and culture,� associate dean for special collections Mary Paluzzi said.
Editor | Lauren Ferguson culture@cw.ua.edu Tuesday, February 26, 2013
The A.S. Williams Collection took root in Amelia Gayle Gorgas library in 2010, after being donated to University of Alabama Libraries. More than 20,000 pamphlets and transcripts from the late 17th century to 2009 comprise to the collection. “The Williams Collection developed as the private collection of Mr. A. S. Williams III and as such is a more focused collection with strength in studies on U.S. Presidents and the Civil War studies including both Union and Confederate resources,� Paluzzi said. While the Williams Collection focuses specifically on southern history, Hoole Special Collections has a wide variety of less concentrated material. “Over 75 years, the Hoole Collection has evolved to support a broader range of subjects with strength in Alabama
including books, diaries, manuscripts and maps detailing the history, culture and lives of Alabamians,� Paluzzi said. With the upkeep of such historical documents comes stricter rules for users. In addition to the standard food and drink ban, no ink pens are allowed inside. Only pencils may be brought near the items and used for notes or observations. “We also go and get things for you, rather than having you browse the shelves,� said Jessica Lacher-Feldman, W.S. Hoole Special Collections Curator of Rare Books and Special Collections. To further prevent damage and wear, Special Collections keeps items in acid-free boxes and stores them in a climatecontrolled area accessible only to staff. “Our stacks area is secure and climate controlled, and is
an environment that is meant to keep rare materials safe, secure and away from environmental factors that can harm them,� Lacher-Feldman said. While Special Collections takes extensive measures to protect historical items, the collection itself is still open to public viewing. Whether for scholastic purposes or personal curiosity, the items kept safe within Special Collections are available with the aid of the staff. “The books are accessible to the public and students, faculty and staff who are always welcome in Special Collections,� Lacher-Feldman said. With thousands of texts, pictures, manuscripts, newspapers and more available, Hoole Special Collections has become a key part of the University of Alabama Libraries, as well as Alabama’s history.
CW | Alaina Clark
Hoole houses rare works, including “Smoke� by Amy Pirkle. (top left) “Special Collections allows us to look into the lives of those who came before us and begin to understand what their world was like,� Lacher-Feldman said. For more information on W.
S. Hoole Special Collections and the collections within the UA libraries, visit www.lib. ua.edu or visit W. S. Hoole Special Collections on the second floor of Mary Harmon Bryant Hall.
Tuscaloosa natives band together to form Southern rock duo By Francie Johnson Contributing Writer Tuscaloosa band Shod Shirby has a typical five-part lineup, comprised of a vocalist, guitarist, bassist, drummer and pianist. What’s not so typical is that all five of these positions are fulfilled by only two people. “We really wanted to see what our limits are and how far the two of us can go,� said Dustin Grammer, the band’s guitarist and bassist. “We just want to see how far, as two
guys, we can push things.� Grammer and Trent Parker, the band’s vocalist, pianist and drummer, have lived in Tuscaloosa their entire lives. The two friends formed Shod Shirby in August 2012. “We’ve been playing since we were about 10 years old,� Parker said. “We’ve always been around music together, but we’ve never actually played in a band together until late last year.� Shod Shirby’s first release, a self-titled, six-song EP, dropped
on Feb. 5. Parker and Grammer recorded all of the vocals and instrumentals for the EP, except for the song “Not Today,� which features Grammer’s wife, Erica Grammer, on backup vocals. Throughout the recording process, Grammer and Parker faced the challenge of creating a full-band sound with just two people. “We were having to learn recording equipment we weren’t familiar with,� Parker said. “It was hard mixing the sound; the whole thing was just difficult.� To create the illusion of a full band in their EP, Grammer and Parker first recorded the different vocals and instrumentation of each song individually, and then they layered the tracks to form the final songs. This process was repeated for every song on the EP. The band has encountered other obstacles in addition to recording, such as gaining exposure in the small town of Tuscaloosa. “As opposed to doing cover songs or playing things that
are more familiar, it’s harder to get more attention when you’re writing your own songs,� Grammer said. “It’s not something people can just hear around town or pick up on the radio everyday.� Parker and Grammer try to distinguish themselves from other Tuscaloosa bands by creating a sound that is purely their own. Shod Shirby has a predominantly Southern-rock vibe, but the band incorporates a variety of influences into its music, refusing to be classified as simply one genre. “We want to be different,� Parker said. “We’re a little tired of hearing the same things around town. We want to do it in our own way.� Grammer and Parker draw musical inspiration from their own life experiences, aiming to write music that their audience can identify with. They wrote a not-yet-released track entitled “Down Rains the Fire,� as a tribute to the United States Military. This is a topic that hits close to home for Grammer, a member of the Navy Reserve.
the atmosphere relaxed and constructive, and we can all appreciate each other’s different drawing techniques.� Mabry said her expectaDRAWING FROM PAGE 1 tions were completely differ“I’m really happy with how ent coming into the class, and the class is going this semes- have changed significantly ter,� Mabry said. “Anne makes from the start of the semester. “I expected to create more detailed drawings, but this class focuses on creating movement and mood in a piece,� Mabry said. “It’s pushing me out of my comfort zone, and I’m really appreciative for that.� In addition to being pushed out of her comfort zone, Mabry said she also gets to experiment with other forms of art.
Art pushes students out of comfort zones
CW | Jingyu Wan
Trent Parker and Dustin Grammer play music in their studio. “If you take a regular person, [someone who] just puts on their boots and goes to work, that’s who we want to relate to,� Parker said. “[We want to relate to] people who make the sacrifices.� “Down Rains the Fire� will be a part of Shod Shirby’s upcoming album, “Driftwood,� which the band expects to release in late spring or early summer. The two band members agree that Shod Shirby hasn’t been an easy project, but the
music itself provides all the motivation they need to keep going. “We want to reach people, just put a smile on somebody’s face or put a tune in their head,� Parker said. “We really like playing, we really like music, and when you love doing something that much, you might as well do it.� For more information about Shod Shirby, visit the band’s Facebook page at facebook.com/ShodShirby.
“In the past week alone I’ve learned how to use India Ink to capture a figure, and I’ve taped charcoal to the end of a stick to draw with,� Mabry said. “It’s always exciting, and there’s always something unexpected to try.� Hasemeyer found a listing on the Facebook page for dance majors looking for models for the class. “I have really enjoyed the experience because I am not much of an artist, so I enjoy being a part of the art as the subject,� she said. Hasemeyer said being a model for the class has pushed her out of her comfort zone, but the students have made it easier to be comfortable.
“I think that students come in ready to learn while expressing their own take on the assignment,� Hasemeyer said. “I think that they also see me, the model, as just a subject or a body, which honestly makes it a little easier to get out of my comfort zone.� Krystal Campbell, another model for the class, said the students are professional and serious which makes the environment comfortable and relaxed. “The students are very talented, and I have the opportunity to see a side of the UA population you forget exists if you aren’t an art major,� Campbell said. “I encourage anyone who gets a chance to do it.�
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Page 8 | Tuesday, February 26, 2013
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GYMNASTICS
Gutierrez likely to miss next gymnastics meet By Marquavius Burnett Sports Editor Throughout her career, Marissa Gutierrez has been the exception to the rule of injured gymnasts. But after suffering an ankle injury on Feb. 22 against Arkansas, Gutierrez is likely to miss the No. 4 Crimson Tide’s upcoming meet versus the No. 6 UCLA Bruins. Gutierrez competes on the vault, balance beam and floor exercise for the Tide and has been a strong competitor for much of the season. She landed awkwardly on her ankle during her first tumbling pass in the floor exercise Friday. “Sometimes ankle sprains can be five days, sometimes it can be five months,” head coach Sarah Patterson said. “My experience is you just don’t know until you see how a person responds.” Patterson said Gutierrez is currently wearing a walking
boot and will more than likely have to wear ankle tape when she returns to action. Patterson said the nature of gymnastics makes resting the ankles paramount. “When you see our sport, it’s not the difference of just running up and down,” Patterson said. “You’ve got to be able to push off of it. It’s got to be 100 percent to do the event she does and like she does. “I’ll probably say that the last few weeks of her career, she’ll be wearing tape on her ankle. She never has. I don’t think I’ve ever even seen her in ankle tape.” Teammates are rallying behind Gutierrez, and everyone is stepping up to fill the holes she left. “We’re all stepping up, and the freshmen have done a great job of stepping up in practice this week,” Sarah DeMeo said. “We’re going to need them this week.”
Tide remains No. 4 in the rankings The Alabama gymnastics team retained its No. 4 national ranking after posting its second-highest score and highest road score of the season at Arkansas last Friday, Feb. 22. Starting this week, rankings are decided by Regional Qualifying Score, a formula which takes a team’s top three road scores, its next three highest scores home or away, drops the high score, and averages the remaining five. By RQS, Oklahoma moved up to the No. 1 spot, while previous No. 1 Florida dropped to second. Michigan remained in third, and LSU jumped the UCLA Bruins to claim the fifth spot. The Tide will take on the No. 6 Bruins this Friday at home before closing out its regular season against the No. 1 Sooners March 15. In between, Alabama travels to No. 5 LSU.
CW | Shannon Auvil
Marissa Gutierrez landed awkwardly in Friday’s meet against Arkansas and sprained her ankle.
BASEBALL
Tide looks to win 4 games at home after 1st season loss By Kevin Connell Contributing Writer The Alabama baseball team returns home to SewellThomas Stadium to play the Samford Bulldogs Tuesday in the first game of a four-game home stint. The Crimson Tide (6-1) continued to make waves this past weekend in Boca Raton, Fla., where it took the first two games of the series against the Florida Atlantic Owls before dropping its first game of the season in the series finale
on Sunday. “I thought our team overall was really prepared and played extremely well, particularly Friday night. We played a really good left-handed pitcher that was Pitcher of the Year last year in their conference,” head coach Mitch Gaspard said. Through seven games of the season, Gaspard said he now has an idea of what kind of a team he is working with this season. “They’re very competitive. They play with really good energy, good focus each day,
and that’s a good sign as we move forward into the season,” he said. “Just the team overall, I like where they’re at. I like their focus; I like the way they play the game. And if they continue to do that, it’s going to be a team that’s just going to continue to get better as we move through the season.” The team will try to rebound from the loss to Florida Atlantic when it takes on a Samford team that the Tide swept two games to none in the season series last year. Gaspard said the Tide knows
Bulldogs (5-4) can be a tough team to beat and they aren’t about to overlook them. “They have a tremendous outfielder and pitcher for them that really has been the catalyst for their team the last couple years,” he said. “[Samford head coach] Casey Dunn’s done a really nice job with their program. We know it’s going to be a real competitive game, and we’re looking forward to getting back on the field again tomorrow night.” Gaspard said pitching has been the key to the team’s
WOMEN’S GOLF
success so far this season after the Tide posted three quality starts against Florida Atlantic over the weekend. Sophomore left-hander Taylor Guilbeau (1-0) will look to continue the solid pitching for Alabama as he makes his second start of the season Tuesday. Guilbeau allowed just one run on three hits and two walks in five innings of work in a 10-8 victory over then-No. 21 Southern Miss last week. The Tide will also look for freshman center fielder Georgie Salem to maintain his
current form at the plate after leading the team with a .538 batting average in the Florida Atlantic series. “[He had] a lot of quality at bats from Tuesday through Sunday,” Gaspard said. “He’s that guy up top, where we’re expecting him to give those tough at bats for us to get us going and let those other guys see pitches throughout the game.” First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. Tuesday. The two teams will meet again later this season on March 19 at Samford.
SOFTBALL
Round 2 of Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate Championship postponed
McCleney named SEC Freshman of the Week, Bama Bash MVP
CW Staff
CW Staff
a shotgun start for the final round. During the night, severe thunDamaging overnight weather in the New Orleans area derstorms brought high winds, contributed to the cancel- nearly three inches of rain, and lation of Monday’s second dime-sized hail to the course. round of the 2013 Allstate The clean-up for Tuesday’s secSugar Bowl Intercollegiate ond round has begun. For updated informaGolf Championship. Play will resume on Feb. 26 at 8 a.m. with tion on the Allstate Sugar
Bowl Intercollegiate Golf Championship, visit the tournament page, located on the Tulane women’s golf homepage at TulaneGreenWave.com, or golfstat.com. Alabama will be playing with Florida and Southern California in Tuesday’s second and final round.
hope for Alabama. “They need to beat Florida, certainly,” Wolken said. “They also have Ole Miss coming up, which would help. It’s a moving target. The thing about these discussions is it’s so hard to gauge because it’s a moving target. It depends on what other teams in other leagues do.” Goodman, however, thinks Alabama could still get in the tournament without beating the Gators. “You’re not supposed to win the one at Florida anyway. They’re probably not going to win it. They win it, they’re in great shape,” he said. “It’s probably going to take them sweeping the rest of them and then winning at least one [SEC] tournament game.” Many Alabama fans will call for Grant’s job if he fails to make the tournament for the third time in four years. The former VCU head coach and Florida assistant is making almost $2 million a year and currently has only a first-round tournament exit on his resume. Both Goodwin and Wolken were quick to dismiss the notion of Grant losing his job or even being on the hot seat if he misses the tournament. Grant inherited a severe talent deficiency and has recruited well during his time in Tuscaloosa. And barring a disastrous finish, Alabama will post 20 wins for the third straight season. “You have to kind of judge it against the historical standard,” Wolken said. “What kind of program does Alabama expect to be, expect to have? Based on all of the factors that you typically look at in determining what expectations should be, Alabama is a program that should probably go to the NCAA tournament three out of five years,
something along those lines.” Goodwin also pointed to Grant’s handling of disciplinary issues, like suspending JaMychal Green and Tony Mitchell during the heart of last season’s run. “I’m still an Anthony Grant fan. He’s high-integrity. He never self-promotes. He coaches those kids up. He makes those kids better as people,” Goodwin said. “I think he’s one of the best people I’ve ever met doing this job. Has a lot of integrity, gets his kids to play hard. I don’t think he took over a program with a ton of talent - he had his work cut out for him. But I still think he’s the right guy for that job.” Grant, as many coaches would, says he is taking things one game at a time, even with just four games remaining on the season. An Auburn loss would, after all, crush whatever tournament hopes Alabama has left. “This game we have tomorrow is the most important game of the season,” he said. “I can’t see any farther than tomorrow. That’s my total focus and we just have to take care of ourselves and take care of the game that’s in front of us.” Senior guard Andrew Steele echoed his coach’s sentiments. Beating Auburn is the first step to getting Alabama back in the tournament picture. “In terms of the selection committee and all that, we can’t control what they decide. But we can decide how we come out and play each game,” Steele said. “Our next game is Auburn, so if we can’t get prepared to play those guys, then we don’t really have a chance at any other thing that we try to do. It’s the next game, so it’s the most important one.”
Experts say calls for Grant’s job not fair BASKETBALL FROM PAGE 1 Alabama suffered five non conference losses, with the low point being back-to-back losses to Tulane and Mercer. The Crimson Tide has put together a 10-4 record in conference play since then, but the Southeastern Conference may be as weak as it has ever been, so there haven’t been many quality wins to come by. Conversely, losses to LSU and Auburn look worse than they would in years past. “It’s certainly not a good loss at this point in the year,” said Dan Wolken, who covers college basketball for USA Today. “They really needed to rack up some big wins in the SEC, and the reality of the situation this year is that the SEC doesn’t offer a lot of high quality wins. If you miss against Missouri and you miss against Florida, then you’re basically playing games against other bubble teams.” Florida and Missouri are the only SEC teams that appear to be locked in for the NCAA tournament right now. Lunardi listed Ole Miss as one of his “last four in” teams and Kentucky as one of his “last four out” before this weekend’s action. Alabama still has a chance to prove itself, however. After facing Auburn, the Crimson Tide will travel to Florida for a crucial Saturday game that will be televised on ESPN. Then it will take on Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss., before finishing out the season at home against Georgia. The SEC tournament awaits after, where winning means an automatic NCAA tournament berth. While the outlook currently looks bleak, there is still some
For the second time in three weeks, Alabama outfielder Haylie McCleney has been named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week. McCleney also led the team in hits and runs scored for the third consecutive week. The Morris, Ala., native batted .611 (11-for-18) with nine runs, two doubles, a home run, nine RBIs and four stolen bases. McCleney was named the
Easton Bama Bash tournament MVP. She had four multi-hit performances in the six-game week, including three games with three hits. The rookie scored at least one run and reached base in all but one game. In the Bama Bash opener, McCleney batted 3-for-3, scored four runs, drove in six and hit a home run against Western Illinois. McCleney opened the week with a 3-for4 outing at the plate against UAB, then posted another three-hit day against Iowa.
After three weeks, McCleney is batting .604 with 24 runs, 32 hits, three home runs, 14 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. Alabama will play six games in four days this week, all at Rhoads Stadium. The Crimson Tide will open the week against Samford on Wednesday, Feb. 27, before playing its make-up game against South Alabama on Thursday. The Tide will then welcome Iowa State and St. John’s for the Easton Classic this weekend.
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Tuesday, February 26, 2013 | Page 9
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SPORTS
Page 10 Editor | Marquavius Burnett crimsonwhitesports@gmail.com Tuesday, February 26, 2013
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Despite criticisms, Meyers believes in her team By Caroline Gazzara Staff Reporter Regardless of what others think of the Alabama women’s basketball team, Shafontaye Meyers said she believes in them. The team may not be the best yet, but she said she is confident her team can become something better. “I have to get better as a player and we have to get better as a team,” Meyers said. “It’s a good feeling when you know you want to improve more as a team.” Standing 5 feet 8 inches, the junior has a few seasons under her belt. Though this is the first year she has started, her freshman and sophomore years helped her become the player that she is and help her guide the team. “I want to be more of a role
model [than a leader],” Meyers said. “I try to step up when we fall. I want to be a role model for the team.” In high school, Meyers was ranked 13th in the nation in 2010 in scoring, averaging 29.2 points her senior year. The native Alabamian has been with the Crimson Tide for three years, and each year she has proved herself once more that she is a leader. This year alone has been her biggest year so far. Meyers has bested herself points-wise by scoring a record 23 points against Auburn in January. Though she claims she’s not the leader of the team, she is the one the team looks to in order to make the shots they need to make. Her three-point shooting average 30.2 percent, her field goal shooting average is 32.5 percent, and her free
throw average is 70.4 percent. Coach Wendell Hudson relies heavily on her shots because Meyers is willing to take the shots no one wants to take. “Shafontaye Meyers is a big shot taker,” Hudson said. “She might not make them but there’s no question that it’s going to be a good shot. She steps and makes those shots. Everybody looks at the final score, and what I look at is what got us to that point.” Like Hudson, the team looks to one of its top players to help bring them together. Even though the Tide is on an eightgame losing streak, Meyers’ goal is to help the team come together to become one synchronized unit. “I think we need to come together,” Meyers said. “We’re not always together.
Sometimes we play together but we quit before we can really come together. We are letting ourselves get in the way of the game but it’s a team thing and we sometimes forget about that.” Hudson’s go-to girl doesn’t feel the intense pressure some athletes may feel. With her team around her, she knows that she can accomplish what needs to be done. “I guess I’m used to it by now because I know that we have to get [the shots],” Meyers said. “When you have to get the shots, you have to get them. You don’t feel the pressure because in the end you’re going to come through cause you have help from everybody.” In a league with fierce competitors, Meyers knows that enjoying the game is the most
important factor of all. Though the losing streak weighs heavily on her mind, enjoying the game with her team is the overall goal for any game. “I want to have fun and I want to enjoy the game,” Meyers said. “When you’re together as a team, it’s always fun. It’s a good thing for the team to have fun.” Meyers’ time at Alabama has helped her become a better player not only individually, but she has also helped the team become a better team. “She has made herself a complete player,” Hudson said. “She’s playing well. She came off the bench and had that spark that we needed.” Her motto is to give it all that she’s got, and though the season is about to come to a close, she’s inspired to keep going for her team and for the fans.
CW | Shannon Auvil
Shafontaye is a ‘big shot taker,’ according to Wendell Hudson.
“I like to give it all I got,” Meyers said. “I know I’m doing it for the audience and [they] are my inspiration. I know because of that, they are helping me get to where I am now.”
COLUMN
To start a new win streak, Crimson Tide must avoid negative mindset after loss By Zac Al-Khateeb Anyone who has ever participated in athletic competition knows teams often follow trends. Teams seem to ride highs and lows, but rarely have an “average” part of a season. Those kinds of trends can be seen when a basketball team puts together a ridiculous string of 3-point shots, when a quarterback just can’t seem to miss his receivers or when a baseball team just makes the game miserable for opposing pitchers. With that said, for every team experiencing a high, another team experiences a low, and
“
If the Tide shows up with a good attitude, ready to put the loss behind them, it could be the start of another win streak. However, if the Tide still has its mind in Boca Raton, Fla., then it could experience yet another loss.
once that low period starts, it never seems to stop. Sometimes a team’s string of losses isn’t so much a reflection of poor play, but the fact they’re simply stuck in a rut. Don’t believe me? Look at the Alabama baseball team last year. After the Tide started with a 4-3 record last sea-
son, it never once put a string of more than two consecutive wins together for the rest of the season. But it wasn’t because of poor play. The team was simply stuck in a mindset of losing, and once a team finds itself in that state of mind, it’s exceptionally difficult to escape.
That is something that Alabama will have to watch out for this year. Still, it looks as if the Tide has started the season out on the right foot, going 6-0 and beating a top-25 team in Southern Miss before losing to Florida Atlantic in a series finale Sunday. I’m not saying Alabama’s season is suddenly in jeopardy or anything, but winning and losing are both contagious to a team. Now that Alabama’s experienced its first loss of the season, it needs to make sure it can overcome it and continue winning. Still, that shouldn’t be too
hard for the Tide, which did start off the season with an impressive string of victories. Even the loss to Florida Atlantic wasn’t that bad, as the Tide had already beaten the Owls twice in the series. Alabama has a chance to start another winning streak tonight when it plays the Samford Bulldogs at home. If the Tide shows up with a good attitude, ready to put the loss behind them, it could be the start of another win streak. However, if the Tide still has its mind in Boca Raton, Fla., then it could experience yet another loss.
That’s the nature of sports sometimes. One loss turns into two, two into three, three into four, and so on. What marks a truly competitive team isn’t who has the most talent. Rather, it’s the team that has the right mindset at the right time in the right place. If Alabama wants to be competitive this year, it’s going to have to learn to keep that right mindset the entire season, something it was apparently unsuccessful with last season. Alabama has already proven it can handle success. Now it just needs to prove it can handle losing as well.