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Thursday, February 28, 2013
WEIGHT ROOM
SPORTS PAGE 16
Facility gets a makeover
Serving the University of Alabama since 1894
Vol. 119, Issue 97
SPORTS | FOOTBALL
NEWS | BLACK BELT
Four arrested players off of team, campus
five years our team has done a very good job of their personal responsibility and how they represent the University, what they have done in the community, the classroom and on the field. “We are going to continue to do as much as we can in personal development and character development in our program with education to try to help our guys have Eddie Williams a chance to be more successful in life.” Hayes, 18, Williams, 20, and Pettway, 20, were a r r e s t e d Brent Calloway and charged with two counts of seconddegree robbery and Calloway, 20, was charged with one D.J. Pettway count of f r au d u l e n t use of a credit card on Feb. 11. Williams was also charged with fraudTyler Hayes ulent use of a credit card and was arrested one day earlier on a separate gun charge.
Coach Saban: ‘Some people can’t learn’ By Marquavius Burnett Sports Editor
CW | Mackenzie Brown
Local journalist details problems of living in poor Black Belt area of Alabama By Will Tucker Editor-in-Chief John Allan Clark wouldn’t cuss as long as the recorder was on. That is, until the 30-year old Marion, Ala., native couldn’t explain the problems Alabama’s impoverished Black Belt region faces with anything less than a four-letter word. “We just happen to be the poorest part of a fucked up state, so we get the worst. It’s hard to be eloquent about it,” Clark said. Clark is something of an expert in those subjects – both what he calls the “fucked-upness” that plagues Perry County and the rest of the 18 counties that lie across Alabama’s midsection, and being eloquent. Clark, a lifelong resident of the Black
Hannah Grace VanCleave | Special to the Crimson White
John Allan Clark, a lifelong resident of the Black Belt, started his own newspaper, the Perry County Herald. Belt, “stumbled into” journalism seat of Perry County, 57 miles south in the region and started his own of Tuscaloosa. newspaper, the Perry County Herald, based in Marion, Ala., the county SEE BLACK BELT PAGE 11
Students fight illiteracy, social immobility through campus initiatives in region By Kyle Dennan Staff Reporter There are counties in the Black Belt region of Alabama where as much as 30 percent of their population lacks basic prose literacy skills, according to a report released in 2009 by the National Center for Education Statistics. Nisa Miranda, director of the University Center for Economic Development, said the high illiteracy rates in the counties of Alabama’s
Black Belt region contribute to the immense poverty and resulting social immobility in these areas. She said University of Alabama organizations and students are working to address this issue, but the problem is massive and systemic. “The counties that surround The University of Alabama are all, by and large, very poor,” Miranda said. “Right now, they have no farming to speak of, and little industry.” Miranda said the key to changing
the economic climate in impoverished Black Belt counties is education. To that end, the UA Center for Economic Development is holding a book drive to reduce the disparity in resources between schools in the Black Belt and wealthier schools. Students will be able to donate books at eight collection sites, which will be set up on campus throughout the month of March. SEE LITERACY PAGE 11
The four University of Alabama football players who were suspended for charges ranging from second degree robbery to fraudulent use of a credit card – Eddie Williams, Brent Calloway, D.J. Pettway and Tyler Hayes – are no longer students at the University. “UA’s judicial review has been completed,” UA spokeswoman Deborah Lane said in a statement. “The four students involved in the robberies on campus are no longer enrolled in UA.” The Crimson White asked if the players were expelled by the University or if they left voluntarily, but a UA spokeswoman declined to comment on the matter, specifically. “Judicial Affairs does not discuss disciplinary proceedings,” UA spokeswoman Cathy Andreen said in a statement. “They are no longer enrolled.” Head coach Nick Saban said the players are “no longer associated with the football program.” “Based on all the information we’ve received and gone through in trying to determine the future of the four guys that got in trouble, those guys are no longer associated with the football program,” Saban said in a statement. “Their actions do not reflect the spirit and character that we want our organization to reflect. It’s obviously very disappointing and unacceptable what happened. I’ve been really proud that over the last
SEE FOOTBALL PAGE 2
SPORTS | FOOTBALL
NCAA rule changes could drastically change recruiting New rules lift ban on time limits, contact By Zac Al-Khateeb Staff Reporter In college football, some of the most common violations, both major and minor, revolve around recruiting. Coaches are severely limited in their contact availability with recruits, and must
document every call they make to potential recruits and report them to their school’s compliance officers. But a Jan. 19 ruling by the NCAA Board of Directors would now allow college coaches to have virtually unlimited contact with recruits for all sports after their junior year of high school, all without having to make reports to the school’s compliance officials. The biggest rule changes
regarding recruiting affect the way coaches can get in contact with potential recruits. Those rules would allow programs to hire completely separate recruiting staffs, remove all restrictions on texting, calling or sending printed materials to recruits, and would also remove dead and quiet periods. J.C. Shurburtt, the national recruiting director for 247Sports, said he feels the
changes will be good for collegiate coaches, who will no longer have to worry about committing minor infractions. “I think as far as getting rid of some of the ticky-tack rules, maybe casting the coach as a cheater because he really didn’t understand when you can do something,” Shurburtt said, “I think it takes a lot of pressure off.” Still, the rule changes have received heavy criticism from
both the high school and collegiate levels. Collegiate coaches, athletic directors and school presidents have 60 days to vote against the proposed rule changes. If enough schools vote to overrule the changes during that period, they’ll be revoked. If not, they’ll take affect in the summer. Shurburtt said the rule changes could potentially have some major problems, especially revolving
around recruits. “I can see it being a huge infringement on the time of potential student athletes,” Shurburtt said. “His ability to communicate with his friends and have a normal life if the flood gates will be opened. I can definitely see this getting out of control as far as a student athlete social aspect goes.”
SEE NCAA PAGE 2
NEWS | SOCIAL MEDIA
Employers, students use social media to hunt for jobs, internships Tweets can help or hurt during search
networking site also plays a vital role in searching for jobs. Tweetmyjobs.com provides job searches on Twitter in order to find positions based By Madison Roberts on a client’s resume. In the Staff Reporter Birmingham, Ala., area, tweetStudents not only use myjobs.com suggested nearly Twitter as an outlet for their 50 job channels to follow, rangsocial opinions and to stay ing from writing and editing updated with friends and jobs to jobs in education. Every time a position family, but now the social
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becomes available in a specific department, the channel will tweet the link to the application. Christopher Heisch, the owner of Governor’s Realty, said he uses Twitter to find students interested in having internships with the company. “Social networking is the forefront of our society today, especially with teenagers and young adults,” Heisch said.
“If you want to get someone’s attention, what better way than to tweet it? That’s where a lot of our internship applications come from. We always ask how people heard about that job opening, and most of the ones available to teenagers and young adults almost always come from Twitter.” Christelle Evans, a junior majoring in marketing,
Briefs ........................2
Sports ..................... 12
Opinions ...................4
Puzzles.................... 21
Culture ....................20
Classifieds .............. 21
participates in a virtual marketing internship with DoSomething.org in New York and found it through Twitter. “I was scrolling through my timeline one day when I saw something USA Today College had retweeted, and it said, ‘Looking for an internship you can do in pajamas?’ or something along those lines, so I clicked the link and applied,”
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Evans said. “I absolutely love it. If it weren’t for Twitter, I probably would have never found this connection.” With social networking becoming a more prevalent way for students to find jobs and internships, it can also become a deal breaker for some employers.
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FRIDAY
What: Softball v. South Alabama
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American Heritage Program
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When: 2:05 p.m
Where: Coleman Coliseum
What: Softball v. St. John’s and Iowa State in Easton Classic
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Rhoads Stadium
When: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
What: The Mikado (opera)
When: 1:30 and 4 p.m.
Where: Moody Music
What: Late Night Series: Dodgeball for a Purpose
Page 2• Thursday, February 28, 2013
What: Baseball v. Tulane
What: Gymnastics v. UCLA
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Opinions on changes to recruitment vary
Another potential issue Scarbrough mentioned was the amount of privacy he and fellow recruits would have if the rules passed. Scarbrough said if coaches had unlimited access to contact him on his cell or house phone, it may become overwhelming. “It can, at some points,” Scarbrough said. “You might be busy doing something with your family, and you get a phone call, and you just don’t want to tell a coach you’ll call them right back, and do all types of other things.” Another recruit, Denzel Ware, a defensive end out of Opp High School, said he wouldn’t mind having recruiters make more contact with him. The reason for this, Ware said, is because it would allow him to better gauge which school has the most interest in him. Ware, a Kentucky commitment, is a ranked recruit by 247Sports, Scout and Rivals. “I’m not really worried about it,” Ware said. “I don’t think it’s bad. I’m looking forward to (getting more calls). Then you can see what school really wants you.”
Recruits and collegiate coaches aren’t the only ones weighing in on the rule changes, either. Scarbrough’s head football coach, Mike Smith, said he didn’t like the rule changes, mainly because it gives too much access to players. “I talked to (Alabama head coach Nick Saban) about this, and me and him both agreed,” Smith said, “that this is opening up Pandora’s box to a lot of things that could not be good to the kid…. And a player of Bo’s caliber, his life could become miserable. Literally.” Smith said it wouldn’t just be high-profile recruits who were affected, either. Smith said another potential problem is “diamond in the rough” players missing out on recruiting opportunities, as coaches are focusing most of their time getting in contact with more recognizable recruits. These changes may not simply affect recruits, however. Negative changes may be seen on the collegiate level as well. Coaches and recruiters who already spend a good portion of their time on the road getting in contact with recruits
may see less of their families because of the competitive necessity to keep up with other recruiters. Still, Shurburtt said this problem could be easily remedied simply by hiring more recruiters to a program’s staff. But while the bigger schools may not have problems spending more money to hire separate recruiting staffs, other schools with less impressive budgets simply may not be able to keep up financially. “We’re going to see what coaching staffs understand recruiting, and what coaching staffs don’t,” Shurburtt said. “I think it’s going to maybe expose some of these problems.” Smith said for those schools who didn’t have the budgets to extend to adding more recruiters, these rule changes would make their job and personal lives exceptionally difficult. “It’s going to be unbelievable, the load that they have,” Smith said. “This could impact a lot of families at the coaching level because the time they’re going to have to keep up with the Joneses, because everybody’s going to do it.”
Alabama student action card. Calloway and Williams used the action card to purchase snacks from a Bryant Hall vending machine. FOOTBALL FROM PAGE 1 Hayes and Williams conThis was Calloway’s sec- fessed to the robberies and ond arrest since he arrived Calloway confessed to using at Alabama. He was charged the card with knowledge that with marijuana possession in it had been stolen. October 2011. “Some people learn by According to arrest war- words, some people learn by rants, Pettway, Williams and consequences, some people Hayes attacked and robbed can’t learn,” Saban said. two Alabama students, Samuel Jurgens and Caleb Paul, in two Wide receiver Marvin Shin likely separate incidents. The three to transfer took a laptop, cash and an Wide receiver Marvin Shin
has decided to not participate in the team’s offseason conditioning program and is likely to transfer, and wide receiver Danny Woodson has been suspended for a violation of team rules, Saban said. “Danny Woodson has been suspended for violation of team rules, so he’s not going to be participating,” Saban said. “Marvin Shinn has elected not to go through the offseason program. Therefore, he will not be going through spring practice or be part of the team. I’m assuming that he’s going to decide to go someplace else,
but I haven’t heard that.” Along with the suspensions and possible transfer, Alabama will be short a couple of players during spring practice due to lingering injuries. “John Fulton is recovering from turf toe that he had actually at the end of the season, and I am not sure if he will be able to participate some in spring practice or not,” Saban said. “Kind of a see how it goes type of thing. Kevin Norwood also has a toe injury, and his status is uncertain for the spring as of now.”
Adrienne Burch Chandler Wright assistant news editors newsdesk@cw.ua.edu Lauren Ferguson culture editor Marquavius Burnett sports editor John Brinkerhoff opinion editor Ashanka Kumari chief copy editor Shannon Auvil photo editor Anna Waters lead designer Whitney Hendrix lead graphic designer Alex Clark community manager
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NCAA FROM PAGE 1 Numerous football recruits have offered differing opinions on the changes as well. Northridge running back Bo Scarbrough said he has mixed feelings about the rule changes. Scarbrough is an Alabama commit, and is ranked by every major football recruiting service. He said he’s at a point in his recruitment where he feels comfortable telling coaches he isn’t interested in their school, but feels any more attention put on him could have negative consequences. “I think that they should keep it the way it was,” Scarbrough said. “…College coaches contact the high school kids, especially big schools. And kids aren’t focused on their work, always talking about the website, and they’re like, ‘this coach called me, that coach called me,’ and they’re not focused on their school work.”
Emily Diab 348-8054 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.
Injuries, dismissals, thin UA football team
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Employers look for ‘professional’ tweets TWITTER FROM PAGE 1
“I don’t think some people understand the consequences of Twitter,” Heisch said. “If we tweet a job opening and someone applies and says they found us through Twitter, we are going to go look at their Twitter to make sure everything is clean and professional. If it’s not, that’s a deal breaker.” Emily Weaver, a sophomore majoring in English, said she was turned away from an internship over the summer due to her activity on Twitter. “I actually applied for an internship I saw online, and as part of the application they asked for my Twitter username,” Weaver said. “I thought my tweets were fine, but when I went in for the interview they asked me to pull up my tweets and informed me I couldn’t work for them because I had cursed in a couple of tweets and posted a picture with a beer can. That was a wake-up call.” Heisch said he would be more likely to hire someone who is good with social media and makes an influence. His experiences with Twitter have been mostly positive and influential for his company. “I definitely think Twitter is a great tool for finding potential employees and gaining awareness for our company,” Heisch said. “In this day and age, employment is difficult enough and social networking has become very important. If someone can make a difference through their personal Twitter and knows how to be professional through that, I think they would be a great addition to our company.”
NEWS OPINION CULTURE SPORTS
NEWS
Page 3 Assistant Editors |Chandler Wright and Adrienne Burch newsdesk@cw.ua.edu Thursday, February 28, 2013
Updated Quidditch tournament to return to UA NEWS
CULTURE
Games to move away from Quad, to Spring
Creative Campus passes off event to HCA
By Ashanka Kumari Chief Copy Editor
By Kristen Feyt Contributing Writer
The University of Alabama’s “Quidditch on the Quad” tournament made headlines over the last two years. This spring, Quidditch will return to the Capstone, but will no longer be on the Quad. John McDonough, the Quidditch coordinator for the Honors College Assembly, said “Quidditch on the Quad” has become “Quidditch at the Capstone” because it will be held on the Recreation Center fields instead, which will open up more opportunities for the event. “At the heart of this event is a sport tournament, and the Rec Center fields, where we are hosting the event, are a lot safer and better equipped for sport,” McDonough said. “The Quad is obviously a very important and protected center of campus. Moving to the Rec fields allows us a little more freedom.” McDonough said the main reason for the move came as a result of the previous Quidditch on the Quad tournaments interfering with the everyday workings of the University and safety concerns regarding the buildings surrounding the Quad. “As fun as snitches running through the library and scaling its exterior are, it is a gigantic disruption to students actually studying there and most importantly a huge safety concern,” McDonough said. The event was moved from the fall to the spring because the HCA did not want to interfere with football season, Olivia West, vice president of the
HCA, said. Because a grounds permit has not been cleared yet, McDonough and West said they cannot specify the exact dates of the tournament, which is projected to be held in midApril and take place throughout the week in the evening. “I don’t think many people know, but organized sporting events are strictly forbidden on the Quad, according to the grounds rules,” West said. “Since Quidditch is sort of an ambiguous event, being part sport, part festival, it has gotten around this rule in years past.” Quidditch first came to the Capstone in fall 2010 and was originally hosted by Creative Campus. This year, the event will be hosted by the HCA and feature major changes including its location. “The event is getting a major face-lift,” McDonough said. “Instead of one night of preliminary matches culminating in a 6-hour tournament day, Quidditch at the Capstone is a week-long tournament culminating in our World Cup Finals festival. Each day of the week will feature preliminary matches as well as themed entertainment and activities.” Naomi Thompson, a thirdyear intern at Creative Campus, said Creative Campus wanted popular events to be passed down to organizations who have more resources to take care of them. “We love the Honors College Assembly and know that their organization has the manpowCW | Shannon Auvil er, ingenuity and imagination The last Quidditch on the Quad event was held Nov. 13, 2011, to make Quidditch better than hosted by Creative Campus in collaboration with University Recreever,” Thompson said. ation. Quidditch on the Quad is set to return this spring.
Since its inception in 2010, Quidditch On the Quad has been a tradition many UA students recognize and look forward to each year. This year, coordination and oversight of the well-known event was passed from Creative Campus to the Honors College Assembly and the game was renamed Quidditch at the Capstone. “Quidditch is so cool,” Olivia West, vice president of the HCA, said. “Anyone who’s been out there before knows that it’s such a phenomenon for The University of Alabama. It literally brings together all walks of life on campus, and it’s something the entire campus can get excited about.” As the change in name implies, the tournament will no longer be held on the Quad. This year, Qudditch at the Capstone will take place on the fields of the Rec Center. In spite of the changes to the name and structure, the event still allows students to come out for festive activities and bond over a generational phenomenon. Rachel Childers, a sophomore majoring in psychology, said she likes how the event allows students to be active and together outdoors. “It brings everyone together and for a cause,” Childers said. “It’s a way to bring a literary event to campus and to bring people together.” West said the Honors College Assembly was very excited to take charge of the popular event that was originally started by Creative Campus.
“Although you would have to ask Creative Campus why they chose to give the event up, the HCA was thrilled at the opportunity to host the event for several reasons,” she said. “As a group, HCA loves to make things happen and put on large-scale events for the campus. Also, we all have loved this event in the past and wanted to make it the best it could be.” This year’s Quidditch at the Capstone will maintain a lot of Creative Campus’ initial ideas, but will be adding new elements to the event to make it more spectator-friendly, and hopefully draw a large audience. From bludgers, snitches and international teams, students are able to participate annually in the sport that once only existed in the pages of J. K. Rowling’s fiction. “We are going to have five days of preliminary matches and then a shorter, but still very festive environment for our finals day,” said John McDonough, Quidditch coordinator for the HCA. “The finals day is only going to have the top four teams playing, and it’s going to be one game at a time.” West attributed the success of the campuswide event to the connection that UA students feel because of the Harry Potter series. “A lot of us have grown up with Harry Potter; we’ve been reading it since the second grade,” West said. “It’s the same reason why so many people went to the midnight premieres of the books and movies. We all find this common bond in Harry Potter. He’s kind of the hero of our generation.”
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NEWS OPINION CULTURE SPORTS
OPINIONS
Page 4 Editor | John Brinkerhoff letters@cw.ua.edu Thursday, February 28, 2013
MAGICAL COMPARISONS
Bonner’s behavior similar to Rowling’s Dolores Umbridge By Chris Brummond
CW | Kevin Pabst
CIVIL RIGHTS
Request to repeal the Voting Rights Act ignores racial disparities By Nathan James Senior Staff Columnist The enfranchisement of nonwhites in America was, unsurprisingly, a long and difficult process. Many of you know that even after the vote was legally extended to African Americans, unscrupulous state officials were still able to suppress minority votes with a number of tactics. These included civics tests skewed against certain demographics, the removal of multilingual ballots and the strategic re-drawing of voting districts. In response to these tactics, Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act was passed. This piece of legislation gives the federal government the right to pre-approve voting policy changes in certain states, allowing the fed to screen for tactics that could target the minority vote. Section 5 has since been dubbed the “hammer and heart” of federal efforts to prevent voter suppression. On Wednesday, Shelby County, Al., asked the Supreme Court to repeal Section 5.
Nathan James
Now, there are arguments in favor of the repeal. However, they all hinge on the assumption that racism no longer exists. Section 5 is the bulwark that protects the voting rights of minorities from discrimination, and without it little would prevent unscrupulous voting officials from effectively disenfranchising any group they choose. Yet conservatives in Shelby seem to believe that the law is unnecessary. So ask yourselves: Is racism over? Let’s look to some statistics to answer this question. Today, African Americans and Hispanic Americans are three times as likely as Caucasian Americans to live in
poverty. They are at higher risk to suffer from involuntary psychiatric treatment. They face higher infant mortality rates. They are disproportionately affected by economic downturns. African Americans are underrepresented in their respective state legislatures in 43 of the 50 states. Yet many Alabamians seem to echo Justice Antonin Scalia, who believes that these signs of racial inequality are trifles compared to the nightmare of “racial entitlement.” Consider this: Shelby County owes the construction of much its infrastructure, ranging from industrial buildings to roads, to an all-black prison labor force that operated in the area until the 1950s. Less than a lifetime ago, privileged whites in Shelby were literally enjoying the fruits of free coerced labor from black American citizens. Now some of these same individuals who benefited from de facto slavery are alive today, arguing in the face of all statistical evidence that racial harmony has been achieved and that one of the most
basic protections against institutionalized discrimination should be struck down. All Americans, including and especially Alabamians must understand this: Section 5 confers no special treatment on minority groups. It simply ensures that their basic constitutional rights are treated with respect. It is no more an “entitlement” than granting a man police protection after he has been repeatedly targeted by criminals. The eyes of the nation are at this moment on Alabamians. Shelby County’s request to repeal Section 5 of the voting rights not only threatens racial equality, it shows an alarming lack of compassion for the hardships that many racial minorities face. That said, Alabamians who value equality have a job to do. Use your votes, your voices and your right to assemble; show the rest of the nation that Alabama cares. Nathan James is a sophomore majoring in public relations. His column runs weekly on Thursdays.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES
Students should shake up college routine, go abroad to expand their horizons By Tara Massouleh Staff Columnist On any given day at The University of Alabama, countless classes are conducted, hundreds of tests are taken, and thousands of plans are made for the coming weekend. With so much going on amongst the 30,000 college students, it can be easy to forget that there is an entire world beyond next week’s chemistry exam or Saturday night’s big football game. Often our obsession with life’s mundane details get in the way of our ability to view a bigger picture of more than 7 billion people living in almost 200 different countries across the world. If we count the hundreds of little conflicts, triumphs and emotions that make up our complex lives and multiply that by 7 billion, the expansiveness of the world we live in is simply unfathomable. Society mythicizes college as a life-altering place where individuals go to acquire an education, but more importantly go to expand their horizons, grow in experience and figure
Tara Massouleh
out their true identities. Naturally, there is a certain amount of maturity that comes with moving away from home and straying from the oppressive rays of our parents’ watchful eyes, but this alone is not enough. Sure, college somewhat expands our horizons by providing us with exposure to people with backgrounds and beliefs different from our own. Still, this is not enough. As the next generation of the world’s innovators and professionals, we should take advantage of all the resources that college offers so that we might gain in experience and truly grow as people. One of the most important resources that
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
we are afforded is the opportunity to study abroad. With options to do two-week sessions or entire semesters in countries from Ghana to Greece, the study abroad program at Alabama can be made conducive to all majors and all types of students across campus. And while we might argue that we are simply too busy to go abroad, the reality is that we aren’t too busy, but rather we are too comfortable. It takes only one semester for the newness of college to expire, and without realizing it we have suddenly descended into the dark, bottomless pit known as routine. We come to college to get an education, but it is important to recognize that not everything can be learned through listening to lectures or memorizing facts. It is only when we are thrown completely out of our comfort zones and forced to adapt that we can break the curse of complacency and truly learn from unique firsthand experiences. Often when I walk through the clouds of smoke engulfing B.B.
Comer amongst the throngs of foreign and exchange students, I wonder what they must think of our culture in America or even our culture at The University of Alabama. I imagine that many of our practices might have come as a shock to them, but I can only admire their courage and resolution to come to a foreign country and make it home. They’ve taken the first step in avoiding the type of slow death that comes from falling slave to habit, following the same routes everyday and refusing to change paths. And that’s more than most of us can say for ourselves. So before we decide to spend the entirety of our four (or more) years of college exclusively in the city of Tuscaloosa, we should take time to consider that by remaining stagnant we are only limiting our experiences and ultimately contributing to our own slow deaths. Tara Massouleh is a freshman majoring in English and journalism. Her column runs biweekly on Thursdays.
If you’re familiar with Harry Potter, and if you keep up with campus news, then you’re sure to see how recent events at the Capstone have paralleled Harry’s fifth year at Hogwarts and how President Bonner’s behavior closely resembles that of Headmistress Dolores Umbridge. Consider the following: This year, we had a change in the University’s highest administrative position. This change occurred shortly after our former president made controversial decisions regarding pledgeship, much like Dumbledore’s ousting after his actions convinced many he was overstepping the limits of his position. (There isn’t conclusive evidence connecting the two in the University’s case, but there was a leadership change, and the events were only two weeks apart.) Moreover, following this vacancy, the committee of mostly old, wealthy, powerful men charged with overseeing the institution’s operations filled it with a female whose unquestionable loyalty made her a perfect candidate. (Bonner was picked by the Board of Trustees, Umbridge by the Ministry of Magic.) This new administrator is more conservative than her predecessors and pushes her ethical and moral As humorous as some paralagenda onto those lels might seem, we should with whom she be concerned by how this doesn’t see eye-to-eye. (Bonner’s drug email administration observes and and Umbridge’s edureacts to problems troubling cational decrees.) our university. Because of her antiquated prejudices, Bonner aided investigations and raids of student residences for harmless behavior that’s common at universities. Likewise, Umbridge oversaw the persecution of many harmless wizards during her ‘Muggle-Born Registration Commission.’ Furthermore, when accurate reports of sexual consent problems on campus were published, Bonner denied these facts and responded by calling the whistle-blowers liars, just as Umbridge did when Dumbledore professed Voldemort’s return. Finally, as intellectual freedom and quality of life at Hogwarts were jeopardized during Umbridge’s fictitious reign, our freedoms and quality of life have also been threatened by the actions of our president and her minions, which she used as weapons against the students they’re supposed to protect. As humorous as some parallels might seem, we should be concerned by how this administration observes and reacts to problems troubling our university. Sexual violence is not a fictional antagonist. It’s a real problem that’s being swept under the rug, and anyone believing it doesn’t warrant prosecution to the fullest extent of the law (whilst simultaneously cracking down on marijuana users) has no business administering a university. Also, when four football players were arrested following the beating and robbery of two students on campus, there was no email stressing those responsible would “receive sanctions up to and including expulsion,” or that the University has a “zero tolerance policy” for muggers. Text alerts weren’t even sent out after a second student was attacked. Being unable to walk across campus, or to attend a party, without the fear of getting mugged or raped is the antithesis of security – something listed as one of the University’s “top priorities” in her email. I hope President Bonner reads this because, she should know that if she’s truthfully “committed to leading the way for every student who chooses to be successful in (their) academic and personal endeavors,” then she can start by getting out of our way; we already made that choice when deciding to attend this university. If she’s concerned about drug use on campus, she should use her resources to help those she feels need it, but an arrest record and expulsion doesn’t help anyone succeed, and it certainly isn’t an achievement worth celebrating. She ended her email with, “Together, we will focus on the highest possible ethical, moral and legal standards.” Unethical is the behavior of a president who spends months supporting an operation with intent to imprison, fine and expel her students for committing a victimless crime, leaving them with no degree, a police record and little chance of attending another institution of higher education. Immoral is a president who disregards factually sound articles about serious issues as “not as accurate as we would hope.” So with all due deference, Madam President, I ask that you keep your disingenuous emails to yourself from now on (and try to avoid any meandering herds of angry centaurs).
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Chris Brummond is a junior majoring in international relations.
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Thursday, February 28, 2013 | Page 5
Faculty differs on constitutionality of gun laws Law professors disagree on interpretations of Second Amendment, guarantees for individuals, militia By Rich Robinson Staff Reporter The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is one of the most vexing parts included in the Bill of Rights. The longtime, heated debate on its meaning may be more important than ever following pushes for new gun regulation through legislation in response to the Sandy Hook tragedy. Susan Hamill, a professor at The University of Alabama School of Law, said she advocated responsible gun control measures and used the Constitution as a basis for her views during her 2010 campaign for state legislature against current Republican representative Bill Poole. “I am in favor of reasonable gun control, addressing both the kinds of guns and registration and background checks,” Hamill said. “I do not believe a
ban on assault weapons would be unconstitutional. I also think it is constitutional to require background checks and registration.” Brannon Denning, a professor at the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University, worked at Yale Law School and edited a book dealing with gun control issues. Unlike Hamill, he said he wasn’t so sure of the constitutionality of an assault weapons ban. Everything, he said, would depend on what the legislation said. “A broad ban on ordinary guns that law-abiding citizens use for hunting and recreation would be on thin ice as far as passing constitutional muster,” Hamill said. “I don’t think such a ban would ever get past Congress or any state legislature, so the question would never come up.” Denning also said a potential assault weapons ban would be further complicated, as he claims the government would
have to exempt large numbers of commonly-owned guns that may technically meet the definition. “An ‘assault weapons ban’ basically outlaws scary-looking guns; if you put a bayonet lug and a flash suppressor on a Remington 1100, which is a common semi-automatic shotgun, you have an ‘assault weapon’ by some definitions,” Denning said. “They aren’t automatic weapons [which are illegal to possess], and they aren’t ‘machine guns.’ They aren’t used in a large number of crimes – handguns are.” In 2008, the Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in District of Columbia v. Heller. In a five-to-four decision, the court struck down Washington D.C.’s handgun ban and articulated for the first time that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual’s right to own a gun for self-defense, according to a Washington Post report. Justice Antonin Scalia, a
leading conservative thinker on the court, said in the majority opinion, “We hold that the District’s ban on handgun possession in the home violates the Second Amendment, as does its prohibition against rendering any lawful firearm in the home operable for the purpose of immediate self-defense.” In a dissenting opinion, Justice Stephen Breyer, a more liberal member of the court said, “The decision threatens to throw into doubt the constitutionality of gun laws throughout the United States.” Paul Horwitz, a constitutional law professor at the Capstone, said the constitutionality of an assault weapons ban would hinge on the details of the proposed legislation. However, he was skeptical of the Heller decision. “I think the Heller opinion is a strained historical reading and does not give adequate attention to the preamble of the Second
Amendment,” Horwitz said. “It doesn’t come out in an outrageous place, but I’m not totally convinced by it.” Denning said before Heller, much of the debate centered around whether the Second Amendment worked in the same way as the protection of speech in the First Amendment and guaranteed an “individual” right, or protected a “collective” right of states to have armed militias. “Heller settled that,” Denning said. “Even the dissenting justices agreed that the amendment guaranteed an individual right.” Denning also said he thinks the original purpose of the Second Amendment was to secure the right of individuals to own firearms both to secure the means for individual self-defense, as well as creating a body of armed citizens capable of collective self-defense. “As our military and police
forces have become more professionalized, the collective self-defense rationale has tended to fall off. But, as the Supreme Court recognized in Heller and again in McDonald, individual self-defense is still a valid rationale for wanting to have firearms,” Denning said. “Interestingly, the association of the Second Amendment’s right to keep and bear arms with selfdefense is not new. The framers of the Fourteenth Amendment specifically referred to the need for newly freed slaves to have the right protected against state interference in order to protect themselves from insurgent violence in the South.” Horwitz said whatever the Second Amendment was originally meant to do, it has become an important part of American life. “Whatever it said at the outset, certainly it’s become a part of our cultural heritage,” Horwitz said.
Saturday in the Park events return to Moundville By Ben Clark Contributing Writer For the Moundville Archaeological Park, each spring brings with it the return of Saturday in the Park. The annual event held from the end of February through May at the Moundville Archaeological Park that celebrates the history of Native Americans in the Southeast. The programs help teach visitors about Native American culture, all the while making it fun and interesting for children and adults alike. It also serves as a hands-on element supplementing the Jones Archaeological Museum, which is located in the park.
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Moundville is one of our favorite places, if not our favorite place to visit. — Dan Townsend
Betsy Irwin, education coordinator for the park, said she is particularly excited for this year’s series, which will offer several brand new events that she hopes will bring in returning visitors who want to see something new or people who just want to be outdoors. “On a pretty Saturday
afternoon, maybe [the visitors] will think, ‘I wonder what’s happening at Moundville today? They almost always have something going on in the park.’” Irwin said. New events include a wild plant walk on March 23 by renowned plant expert and author Darryl Patton. Additionally, Becky Collier of Alabama 4-H will bring raptors for an up close look as part of the birding trail program on May 18. Moundville will continue to announce more events and dates soon and throughout Saturday in the Park. The annual Knap-in in March is expected to bring in more than 500 guests. The Knap-in is an event where toolmakers,
artists and ancient technology experts demonstrate their crafts, such as spear making and shooting bows. Park officials anticipate new events will mimic the success of the Knapin, which is their most popular event. Saturday in the Park officially begins this Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a shell-carving event presented by Dan Townsend. Townsend, who has been part of the series for several years, said Saturday at the Park is a must-attend event for Native American culture. “Moundville is one of our Submitted favorite places, if not our favorite, to visit,” Townsend said. “It’s one of the seven natural Dan Townsend showcases his work at Moundville Archaeological Park. wonders of ancient America.”
Page 6 | Thursday, February 28, 2013
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Student excels academically, professionally By Tori Linville Contributing Writer Christine Evans is busy. The senior majoring in mechanical engineering interned with Africa Exchange, a nonprofit organization in Kenya, Africa. She’s the president of the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society and participated as a co-op student at the U.S. Army, Aviation, and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center in Huntsville, Ala. Even so, she found time to rack up another accolade when she received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, one of the University’s Premier Awards that, according to a UA website about the program, focuses on students who “recognize the practical application of noble ideals and is based on excellence of character and service to humanity.” Evans knows about applying noble ideals and serving
humanity. While with Africa events and even help with Exchange, she traveled to tornado cleanups while worknursery schools and complet- ing with the officers and feled engineering low classmates projects, includof the Tau Beta ing the buildPi engineering Christine has always chaling of bio-sand honor society. water filters She added to the lenged me to be everything to help preever-expanding that I can be, and she has vent diarrheal list by thrownever failed to be an encourdiseases and ing in a student aging, supportive friend and gunny-sac garco-op position spiritual light. dens as a source at the engineerof nutrition. ing center in — Courtney Belcher “It was a Huntsville, Ala. really eye“I was a opening experimechanical engience because it neering co-op, showed me that the world was and the first term I was working bigger than I realized, and it in a composites lab working on gave me a new perspective on helicopter and missile parts poverty,” Evans said. “It showed that are made from carbon how much need there is and fiber. My second term worked how unfixable it all seems, but with missile simulations,” it helped me realize that I can Evans said. “I learned to work fix the situation for at least one in the professional world and person.” develop skills for relating to Along with witnessing these people and just learned how to conditions in Africa, Evans adjust to a new job.” learned to delegate, plan Evans, who constantly has a
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running to-do list and is always thinking about her next move, said organization is key. Robert Taylor, one of her professors of mechanical engineering, said she excels as a student because of her attention to detail. “I have had Christine for two classes, ME 460 ‘Thermal Systems Instrumentation,’ and ME 415 ‘Energy Systems Design,’” Taylor said. “I was particularly impressed with the thought and background effort that she put into her projects and formal lab reports.” Evans’ roommate, UA graduate student Courtney Belcher, met Evans when she was a freshman, and the two became friends over grilled cheese sandwiches, soup and homework. “Christine is thoughtful, thorough, a diligent learner, a good listener and delightful company. She is not afraid to enter into new things and situations, even though she is introverted, which is
CW | Pete Pejor
Christine Evans, a mechanical engineering student, received the prestigious Algernon Sydney Sullivan Premier Award. something I admire about her,” Belcher said. “Christine has always challenged me to be everything that I can be, and she has never failed to be an encouraging, supportive friend and spiritual light.” Evans said she is grateful her college experience worked out so smoothly, and encouraged others to find their
passions as well. “Try a lot of things that sound interesting to you, and then focus on the things you’re really passionate about,” Evans said. “It’s good to get involved and make a lot of friendships, and in order to look back at your college career and feel satisfied, you need to focus on your top priorities.”
Local pub hosts open mic event on Monday nights Innisfree event welcomes all types of participants, past performances include music, comedy, poetry
By Morgan Reames Contributing Writer
Innisfree Irish Pub gives local musicians from the Tuscaloosa area a place to showcase their talent in front of a live audience during open mic night Mondays starting at 10 p.m. “People just need to be aware there are venues around town for people to go and play live music throughout the week,” Ken Cupp, UA graduate and host of open mic night said. “You’re not judged on talent. It’s just an opportunity to get up and play for an audience. The way it works is, I host the event and have a different local
guest musician open with me each week and play a couple songs. It helps to change it up and get local artists up there along with recreational guitar players.” Innisfree open mic night is sponsored by Guitar Gallery Tuscaloosa, a supporter of local music. “We’re a guitar store owned and operated by musicians, so we’re excited to support live music in Tuscaloosa,” Scott Smith, co-owner of Guitar Gallery Tuscaloosa, said. “Its a way to give back to the customer. Innisfree is doing something really cool for the customers. There’s a lot of work involved.
It’s a great opportunity for people who don’t have a gig at the time to get in front of an audience.” Cupp said he has been hosting open mic night for almost a year and a half. “It started as just an idea to get people to go out on a Monday night,” Cupp said. “It has been a great experience for me to keep in contact and make connections I otherwise would have never made. That has been the coolest part of the past year for me.” However, open mic night is not limited to musicians. “We have had people come in and do a stand-up comedy skit
to people reading poetry,” Cupp said. “Those are extreme cases. It’s primarily musically oriented, but it doesn’t have to be. It is just for artists to showcase their talents. The overall goal of open mic is to allow beginners to professional musicians to hangout, meet new people and hear some live local music. We encourage anything from original music to covers, just any genre they are comfortable playing.” All participants will be entered into a drawing each Monday night for an Innisfree gift card. At the end of the month, there will be a larger drawing for $100 to Guitar
Gallery. “The guys at Innisfree have a drawing at the end of every month, and every musician that plays will be added to the drawing,” Smith said. “The
more you participate the better. We understand the customer because we’re the same guys. We’re just musicians looking to have fun and relieve a little stress playing music.”
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Thursday, February 28, 2013 | Page 7
Charities team up for city’s inaugural half marathon By Adrienne Burch and Camille Corbett CW Staff More than 800 people will run in the inaugural Tuscaloosa Half Marathon Saturday, March 2. The event will raise money for ReadBAMARead, an organization started in the wake of the April 27, 2011 tornado to help refurnish elementary school libraries, and to an effort by the Kiwanis Club of Greater Tuscaloosa to rebuild elementary school playgrounds. University of Alabama assistant gymnastics coach Dana Duckworth is a co-founder of ReadBAMARead. She said this marathon is meant to celebrate the regrowth of the city and raise money for their cause. “The mayor said, ‘I want the route of the marathon to run through the path of the tornado because so much has been rebuilt,’” Duckworth said.
“We want to celebrate so much regrowth and the people who are putting their lives back together.” The path of the race runs through many of the areas that suffered significant damage from the tornado including Rosedale Court, Forest Lake, Alberta, Cedar Crest and along 15th Street, all areas that have seen significant regrowth. “We want to use this year’s inaugural half marathon as an opportunity to celebrate how far the city has come in the past 23 months,” Kelsey Colglaizer, marketing chair of the half marathon, said. Duckworth said she is most excited for the balloon release that will happen after the fun run at 9:30 a.m. She said there will be more than 15,000 balloons. “We will have a short ceremony that will honor those that lost their lives, honor those
that are rebuilding and honor affected by the tornado, which the volunteers who are helping Duckworth said fit so well with put our city back together,” she the goals of ReadBAMARead to said. restock the libraries of elemenReadBAMARead hosted a 10k tary schools. last year to begin raising money “We’re rebuilding libraries for the nonprofit, for these kids, but this year and they’re they decided to rebuilding playIt’s rewarding being able expand to a halfgrounds. So basito give back and keep the marathon. cally we got in “We decided bed together and money local to my wonderful we wanted to do said lets do this,” town of Tuscaloosa that I something bigDuckworth said. consider home. ger that would Duckworth allow us to raise said it has been — Dana Duckworth more money. rewarding to give Something back to the city that would be of Tuscaloosa. some kind of community event “My mission, my love in life that would get more people is I don’t think life is how much involved,” Duckworth said. money you make; it’s what The funds raised will be you do with what you have,” evenly distributed between Duckworth said. “It’s rewarding CW | Caitlin Trotter the Kiwanis Club and being able to give back and keep Katie Jernigan, a New College sophomore and Amy Deeble, a junior ReadBAMARead. Kiwanis is the money local to my wonder- majoring in communicative disorders, train on campus Wednesday helping to rebuild playgrounds ful town of Tuscaloosa that I afternoon for the Tuscaloosa half marathon taking place on March 20. at local elementary schools consider home.”
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Despite talks of retirement, longtime UA faculty member stays By Sarah Elizabeth Tooker Staff Reporter Anyone who has passed through the College of Communication and Information Sciences in the past few decades knows they have a secret weapon – one that almost escaped the hallowed halls of Reese Phifer early this semester. To the dismay of many faculty and students, Jim Oakley, career
counselor and recruiter, put in his retirement for January 2013. Nevertheless, when Oakley’s situation changed, previously forcing him to consider retirement, he reassessed his plans for the future. “I thought, ‘what am I going to do now,’” he said. “My three kids and the dean told me ‘Just stay,’ so here I am. I could be sitting at home at the coffee shop, but I’m here.”
Oakley’s relationship with the University began in 1985 when he retired from a long career in journalism as publisher for his local newspaper. “My dad was a newspaper publisher, so I pretty much knew all along that’s what I was going to do,” he said. “I became an editor and then publisher, but eventually sold the paper in 1985 and retired for about two weeks.” Oakley explained he received
a phone call from the president of the University, his alma mater since 1958, telling him to call the journalism department; they could use him. “He told me they didn’t need a teacher,” Oakley said. “They wanted someone to come and teach students how to produce a newspaper, so I taught newspaper management.” After teaching this course for about a year, the department decided they needed someone to help their students with career counseling. Thus began Oakley’s career for the next 28 years. Even after so many years of helping students find careers, Oakley said he continues to have defining moments in his career all the time. “It’s when I help a student as a freshman maybe get a couple internships or job interviews and they call and tell me that
they’re hired,” Oakley said. “That’s a crowning moment for me, and I’ve got them everywhere.” Throughout his career, Oakley has helped several major success stories get their start while at Reese Phifer. “Just a few weeks ago Rece Davis came to campus,” he said. “I remember telling him, Rece, you need to understand you aren’t going to graduate on Saturday and start working for ESPN on Sunday, but one thing led to another and I helped him find a job in Columbus at a TV station.” One of Oakley’s longtime colleagues, Mary Ann Bradley, said though she was very happy he decided to stay, she encouraged him to not make any rash decisions. “His intent was to retire and take care of his wife who was ill,” Bradley said. “When she
passed away earlier, I told him to give it some time.” Bradley, who plans on retiring this July, said she’s been taking care of Oakley for the past 28 years. “I guess you could say we’re great buddies and we sort of take care of each other,” she said. “It’s like a work husband. His wife had him in the evenings and I’ve had him in the day for all these years. We’ve had a great time.” Oakley said he plans to stay on board as long as he can continue to help students. “We have the program here that will make a student successful, so what we need is for students to buy into that program and dedicate themselves,” he said. “We have a proven record, and our faculty and staff are amazing. Graduates are making a big impact on this world, and I’m proud of that.”
Page 8 | Thursday, February 28, 2013
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Thursday, February 28, 2013 | Page 9
Liberal professor to speak on LGBTQ rhetoric Dana Cloud named one of the most dangerous U.S. professors by right-wing pundit David Horowitz By Ashanka Kumari Chief Copy Editor One of the most dangerous 101 professors in the United States will be speaking in Lloyd Hall Room 132 Monday, March 4 at 6 p.m. Dana Cloud, associate professor and director of graduate studies the University of Texas at Austin, will give a talk entitled “Pushing the Boundaries of Liberalism: Revolutionary <Equality> in the Rhetoric of GetEQUAL.” Collyn Warner, a graduate teaching assistant for the UA composition, rhetoric and English studies program in the English department, said Cloud was recently named “One of the Most Dangerous 101
Professors in the United States” by right-wing pundit David Horowitz, encouraging her to do more work on academic freedom. Cloud said she will argue that social movement organizations like GetEQUAL have ben instrumental in changing public opinion with regard to LGBTQ rights. “GetEQUAL’s rhetoric displays an intriguing relationship to the ideal of equality,” Cloud said. “In mainstream civil rights rhetoric, equality is a fairly conservative demand for inclusion in the system as it already exists, but in GetEQUAL and similar organizations, that demand is re-framed as substantive equality.” Warner said Cloud is a moving researcher, activist and speaker.
“Her research focuses on academic freedom, rhetoric and social movements, gender and communication, race and gender in mass media, unions and historical materialist theory,” he said. Warner said the CRES program works to bring a guest speaker to the Capstone each spring. “It is part of a wonderful opportunity to expand our horizons for our own work, to build greater academic community and it provides us an opportunity to give back to the UA and Tuscaloosa communities at large,” Warner said. “I am extremely excited to bring Dr. Cloud to campus, because she does incredible work to bring voice to issues that marginalized
populations face.” Amy Dayton, an associate professor of English in the CRES program, said the graduate students who planned this event choose someone whose work is compelling to them, invite their chosen speaker and coordinate the visit. “Dr. Cloud’s work focuses on public activism and LGBTQ rights, a topic that is timely and important to our students,” Dayton said. Along with Monday night’s talk, Cloud will also meet with LGBTQ and Ally students, faculty, staff and community members 9-11 a.m. Tuesday, March 5 in Morgan Hall Room 301.
IF YOU GO... • What: Coffee with Dr.
• What: Dana Cloud talk
Cloud for LGBTQ and
• When: Monday, March
Ally Students, Faculty, Staff and Community Members
4 at 6 p.m. • Where: Lloyd Hall Room 132
• When: Tuesday, March 5 at 9 - 11 p.m. • Where: Morgan Hall Room 301
Competition asks students what they would do as a dean By Madison Roberts Staff Reporter The College of Arts and Sciences is hosting a competition through Facebook and Twitter for students in the college to win $175 for their creative ideas of what they would do if they were dean for a day. To enter the competition, students must post their ideas for what they would do if they were dean for a day to the UA College of Arts and Sciences Facebook page or mention @ AS_StuServices on Twitter by March 22. Kevin Lake, the coordinator of student services for arts and sciences, said he hopes to build a relationship with the students through this campaign. “It can be something serious, it can be something funny. We are really trying to get
@AS_Stuservices
people to know more about our presence on campus, and we want students to feel like they can tweet at us or send us a message and ask us anything,” Lake said. “We just want students to know they don’t always have to come in if they have a question. We want to be active on campus, not just in our office.” Some of the contest entries include randomly going to classes and throwing confetti everywhere, doing the Harlem shake and including everyone, and providing free lunch for the entire student body. A winner will be chosen during spring break, and the prize includes $175 deposited in his or her student account as well as the opportunity to participate in various activities with the faculty and staff within the college. The idea came from a
facebook.com/ as.stuservices
And various activities on April 10th, 2013
Enter between february 22, 2013 and march 22, 2013. Must be 18 or older to enter. Must be an arts and sciences student to enter. visit facebook.com/as.stuservices for details.
campaign they did last semester called class with the dean, where students would present reasons to Dean Robert Olin as to why he should attend their class periods. Lake said they built onto this idea so they could gain feedback from students through dean for a day. “If they’re telling us what they would do as a dean, then that’s what they want to see happen. It kind of works both ways, where we can have a student telling us what they want to do or want to see, and at the same time we are getting feedback as to what we can do better,” Lake said. There will be a table set up in the Ferguson Center 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Feb. 27 for students who have questions about the competition or just want to get involved with the Student Services Center.
Page 10 | Thursday, February 28, 2013
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Professors wary of sharing social media with students By Judah Martin Contributing Writer Since the rise of social media, many individuals find themselves struggling to successfully divide their time between day-to-day reality and virtual existence on social media profiles. For those in the professional job market, including instructors, an appropriate balance between the two is sometimes imperative for remaining employment mentality. Jennifer Greer, chair of the department of journalism, studies social media as part of her research focus, and found Twitter to be a better tool for promotion, while Facebook tends to be more personal.
“My rule is that I don’t post anything on Facebook that I wouldn’t say in the classroom,” Greer said. “I tend to shy away from making any sort of statement about any personal beliefs. It is kind of a mix of personal and professional. I don’t talk about politics for the most part, or religion or anything that might be controversial that I’m not going to say in a classroom.” For Greer, Facebook has been a way to maintain the image she projects to students. For instance, most of her posts are family photos and shared news articles. She also advertises that she is a fan of the NBA, in addition to her music tastes. “I kind of like that the students know I’m a mom,” Greer
said. “I mean, I’m not shouting about my kids 24/7, but I do talk about them and my husband and that I went to the Taylor Swift concert or whatever, and I’ll bring that up in class. That’s kind of the same stuff I that I post on Facebook. “The political stuff I will post as it’s related to stuff we’re learning about [in class]. So, say if there was information on the media being critical of Obama and somebody is talking about media coverage, I might post that, not to be critical of Obama but to raise issues that are going on with media coverage.” Cathy Andreen, director of media relations, said the fate of a professor with inappropriate posts is left up to their
department supervisor. Brooke Champagne, assistant director of composition in the English department, said her supervisor is more lenient. She admitted to swearing occasionally in Facebook posts, which is why she said she never accepts friend requests from students in her classes. “I am friends with colleagues and supervisors,” Champagne said. “I am not uncomfortable with the language used there. I don’t think the language is any different than the language I use in real life. There is sometimes what I consider minor profanity – that’s a relative term – that’s my ethos in real life.” Champagne added that her online presence does not
necessarily represent how she acts in the classroom with students. “It’s not the way I would speak to a freshman composition class because freshman classes are really young, so even the word ‘damn’ makes them go ‘ohh, did she just say...?’ I do test that out in classes, so sometimes I may say ‘damn’ and you see a reaction,” Champagne said. “That is why I don’t friend students while they are in my classes.” Last summer, Champagne assigned a paper about Facebook to her composition class after observing students’ reliance on and infatuation with their phones and social media. “They were always on their
phones, and students were using them all the time, and I thought, ‘they’re always connected to some other life outside of the actual present life that we’re living,’” Champagne said. “They don’t even allow themselves to be bored, and I thought, ‘this is why kids are having to take so much medicine.’” After engaging in a “healthy” debate with a former student online, Champagne said she tries to remain objective. “If something’s really making me really, really angry I’ve learned to not post,” Champagne said. “I’ve had to walk away from the gun debate. There’s no reason to get high blood pressure because of Facebook posts.”
Third annual AMLC comes to Ferguson Sorority hosting 5k to By Ashanka Kumari Chief Copy Editor Graduate students from the department of modern languages and classics will host the Third Annual Alabama Modern Language Conference in the Ferguson Center March 1-2. This year, the AMLC theme is “Redefining Borders: Bridging the Gap between Languages, Literatures and Cultures,” Sandrine Hope, co-organizer of the conference, said. “Any student who is interested in language will find something of interest,” Hope said. “The panels will address subjects from various literatures such as Spanish, French and German, to linguistics and teaching languages.” Hope said most of the presenters will be graduate students from the University, but there will also be 25 presenters coming from other universities around the country.
IF YOU GO... • What: Third Annual Modern Language Conference • Where: Ferguson Student Center • When: All day March 1-2
“We will have a few foreign presenters at 4 p.m. on Friday in the Heritage Room at the Ferguson Center,” Hope said. “We will have the keynote address by Dr. Thomas Deveny, professor at McDaniel College in Westminister, Maryland. His address will examine the nature of borders, the reasons for migration and give examples of migration narratives in contemporary Hispanic cinema.” Betsy Brooks, a doctoral
candidate and Spanish graduate teaching assistant, said the AMLC began three years ago after graduate students in the department of modern languages wanted to host a conference in which they could present and share their research with fellow graduate students around the country. “[The AMLC] seeks to give graduate students the opportunity to present their current research, receive feedback and network with professors and graduate students that share similar research interests,” Brooks said. While the social events and banquets are restricted to paid conference attendees and presenters, individual panel presentations and the keynote address are open to all undergraduate and graduate students interested in language and literature, Brooks said. “AMLC hopes to reach as many graduate students as possible,” Larissa Clachar,
a UA doctoral candidate and organizer of the First Annual AMLC, said. Clachar said being involved with the AMLC since its inception has been one of most valuable experiences in her professional career. “Starting an initiative like this from scratch is an experience I will never forget,” Clachar said. “It was hard at first because it was new, and we were inexperienced, so some people were reluctant to do it, but we had a lot of support from some of the faculty members in our department, and that, and the hard work from the members of committee made it possible.” After the success of the First Annual AMLC, graduate students were able to continue to host the event each year, Clachar said. “I hope everyone realizes the importance of such initiative,” Clachar said. “[I hope] that everyone stays involved and enthusiastic about it so that the AMLC can become bigger each year.”
benefit arthritis charity By Jessica Smith Contributing Writer Alpha Omicron Pi sorority is hosting the 6th annual Run for Roses 5k on Saturday, March 2., supporting their national philanthropy, The Arthritis Foundation. “It is important for us to provide our community with a way to learn more about arthritis,” Maegan Gundy, philanthropy chair of Alpha Omicron Pi, said. Gundy said Alpha Omicron Pi is expecting about 500 people to show up. The cost is $10, which includes post-race food and the 5K walk/run. McAlister’s deli and other food and refreshments will be available to all participants. There will also be a live band. T-shirts will be sold separately for $15. Registration will begin at 1:00 p.m. at the Alpha Omicron Pi house, and the race will start at 2:00 p.m. All proceeds will benefit the Arthritis Foundation. According to Alpha Omicron
Pi’s website, arthritis is the leading cause for other diseases. In Alabama, one in three people will be diagnosed, and there is no known cure. The national chapters of Alpha Omicron Pi have helped to raise more than $1 million to help researchers find a cure. Gundy said the event is especially important for the chapter because some Alpha Omicron Pi members suffer from arthritis. “Run for Roses 5k is an important event for [Alpha Omicron Pi] because it is a major awareness event for arthritis,” Gundy said. “We have several sisters who are diagnosed as well as some of their family members.” Gundy said Alpha Omicron Pi also holds a Backyard Bash benefitting The Arthritis Foundation in the fall at the house before a home football game where guests enjoy food and music before kickoff. To learn more, contact Gundy at mggundy@crimson.ua.edu.
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Thursday, February 28, 2013 | Page 11
W E L C O M E T O T H E B L A C K B E LT Program hopes to involve all of campus LITERACY FROM PAGE 1 “The basis of this project is twofold,” Miranda said. “One part is to help the schools, which are the mechanism to actually help individuals in that county. The second part is attacking the literacy problem, because when you have poor children born into poor families, what little resources they have are going to be spent investing in housing, food…the basic necessities of life.” Miranda hopes this project will turn into something more – a true partnership between campus organizations and schools in the Black Belt. “By doing a campuswide drive that would focus on all of the student organizations on campus and all of the colleges, we’re hoping that we will identify champions, people who are interested in some particular aspect of this [problem],” Miranda said. Russell Willoughby, a sophomore majoring in English, had heard all of the statistics before, but said entering a classroom in the Black Belt during a University Fellows experience made the problem much more real. “When a face is put to that, it makes it so much more infuriating and heartbreaking,” she said.
Willoughby, along with Kevyn Armstrong-Wright, another University Fellow, worked with first and fourth graders in Marion, Alabama on visual art projects and poetry. “With the poetry, we wanted to take reading and make it relevant to them and give them ownership in it,” Willoughby said. “We wanted to emphasize that reading isn’t some lofty activity.” Chris Joiner, a senior majoring in biology who is involved with 57 Miles, an Honors College initiative that attempts to address issues of educational inequity between the Black Belt and wealthier communities, said he would like to see his organization partner with an existing Honors College literacy organization, READ Alabama, to expand literacy in the Black Belt. “We want to take things that have worked, tailor them to the Black Belt, and reproduce them,” he said. Miranda said she hopes that campus organizations will contact her office in order to partner with specific schools or counties. “We’ve got lots of talent on this campus,” Miranda said. “We’re hoping that there will be adopt-a-school and inschool programing by volunteers. Hopefully from that we can get some of these kids, as they grow up, to dream big and go to college.”
57 Miles will extend service past 3 weeks BLACK BELT FROM PAGE 1 Today, he pops open a craft beer with his Bic lighter in Jim’s Little Store on the town square in Marion as he gets ready to talk about the problems he knows so well – government corruption, racism and xenophobia, to name a few. Jim’s is situated on the west side of Marion’s archetypal “town square,” with storefronts lining the streets, facing inward toward a regal white courthouse, and has the spirit to match it. Clark talked to three people, including the mayor, between the sidewalk and the Little Store’s front door. In the Black Belt, people mosey like that. The Parable of the Black Belt After we sit down inside, Clark knows what I want to ask about – it’s the same thing I wanted to ask him about as a University of Alabama Fellow participating in the program’s annual Black Belt Experience three years ago. He knows I want to hear the landfill story. “It was the first news story I ever wrote for the Marengo County paper,” he says, speaking about the efforts of the people of Uniontown, a small Black Belt community just to the south of Marion, to stop the construction of a landfill to take in toxic “coal ash,” or the fine, dried and dusty runoff from a massive coal mining waste spill up in Tennessee. “That was something that I approached thinking, ‘hey, look how fucked up local government is,’” Clark says. “These people in Uniontown don’t want this landfill in their backyard, and the county commission’s not listening to them. Then an election happened, while the landfill was still an issue that the commission could have voted on, and the county commission changed makeup. Uniontown voted out both of their county commissioners, put two new guys in… who turned around and voted for the landfill just like the guys they got rid of. And you realize that it’s much larger…there are much larger forces here that keep Perry County, that keep the Black Belt the way it is.” Clark has told this story to several UA Fellows during their three-week ventures into the Black Belt in May to conduct service projects. The whole story turns into a kind of parable. The rural people of the Black Belt get screwed over by outside money and interests. No one outside the region seems to care. They fight back, maybe even winning a few small battles,
Hannah Grace VanCleave | Special to the Crimson White
John Allan Clark created the community newspaper, The Perry County Herald. delaying the big interests, only to get beaten again. The heroes of the story, Clark and his partner Travis Vaughan wrote in January 2010, are the ones on the outside who hear the story, then commit to help. “Fortunately for us, someone looked at Perry County and saw something besides a poor, ignorant little county no one’s heard of, with cheap land and cheaper politicians for the taking,” they wrote in a post about two outsiders who stood up to the landfill company on behalf of the people of Uniontown. After four years of Fellows’ Black Belt Experience, a program always hailed as a foundational tradition of the Fellows Experience, several Fellows have seen enough, and are ready to start an institution that won’t fail the Black Belt. 57 Miles For UA Fellow Jason Arturburn, three weeks in May simply isn’t enough. As a sophomore, Arterburn participated in his class’s Black Belt Experience in May 2012 to round out his freshman year at Alabama. When the Fellows plan for their service projects in May, Arterburn says, directors continually remind the Fellows that they’re not meant to be “white saviors” for the impoverished region; they’re meant to work in partnership. “Everyone was talking about how it’s a ‘partnership’ – that was kind of like lip-service, to quell us while we were there,” he says. “Three weeks out of the year is not a partnership. If it’s a true partnership, we’re there throughout the year.” That’s exactly what the Honors
College now wants, Arterburn explains. Through a program he’s directing with Fellow Chris Joiner called 57 Miles – named after the distance between Tuscaloosa and Marion – he and the Honors College want to open up the Black Belt Experience to Honors students at large and extend the relationship between the Honors College and Marion beyond its current three-week lifespan. “We’re partnering with anyone in the community to combat whatever issues they see through the ways they see as most appropriate,” Arterburn says. This partnership, he says, is an alternative to creating student initiatives and “blazing through the community with them” in three weeks. 57 Miles is still in its early phases, but currently up and running is a weekly ACT preparation class for the students at Francis Marion High School, a recurring and successful program started by Fellows during a Black Belt experience several years ago. Students in the Honors College hope to add more initiatives that will require Honors voluneers to visit Marion regularly. “The way we plan to combat Black Belt problems is just by listening to community members and educating students that work with them,” he said. That won’t be difficult, as long as people like John Allan Clark live in Marion and remain willing to talk. And Clark, Arterburn said, isn’t alone. “Marion was selected because it has grassroots momentum challenging these widespread, systemic, tangled problems,” he said.
idea of 57 Miles, he says, because the Black Belt is nothing if not an education in what it means to be part of a community. “Just by being here, coming here, experiencing what the Black Belt is like, I would hope does a lot,” he says, definitely no longer moseying in the conversation and speaking on a topic about which he’s visibly passionate. “You know, I couldn’t name a project that has come out of the Black Belt Experience except the ones that I was directly involved in. You know, people would come by and talk to me about the landfill and shit like that. I know that there were interns at the library, I know this and that…but to me, that’s not really the point. The point is, like I said before, is actually being here…understanding that a place like the Black Belt is 57 miles away from the vaunted ivory tower, and that it’s not that much different.” That’s not to say 57 Miles and a year-round partnership between the UA Honors College and Perry County won’t experience obstacles. But Clark maintains that there are reasons to stay idealistic in the face of the Black Belt’s poverty. “A lot of the townspeople, especially older people obviously, are like, ‘Eh, look at these kids. They’re not going to change anything. What the fuck are these do-gooders doing, trying to come in here and tell us what to do?’ But maybe it’s not for you, you know what I mean? The important thing is that outside perspective that no small community is used to. “I hear so many people that come in here and say, ‘oh, well, this is the problem, if you Grassroots Momentum John Allan Clark loves the just did this, this and this, it’d fix everything.’ And they’re right,” Clark almost laughs. “They’re right. You arrive at solutions, but at the same time, you realize just how hard it is to implement any of those.” This education is part of the parable Clark and his partners at the Perry County Herald, which closed its doors and stopped printing in 2010, have developed. It’s the part where people look at the Black Belt and see more than a string of poor, ignorant little counties. “Y’all are kind of paying attention to the Black Belt in a way that you wouldn’t have at all if you’d have just gone through your four years at UA and never shown up down here. That’s what’s important to me. ‘Cause shit, maybe one of you’ll come back here for longer than a week, you know what I mean?” Clark finishes his beer, letting that sink in. “I’ll go get another beer. You want one?” He’s not going anywhere any time soon, and with 57 Miles, he may be about to get his wish for a few honors students to stay for more than a week.
NEWS OPINION CULTURE SPORTS
SPORTS
Page 12 Editor | Marquavius Burnett crimsonwhitesports@gmail.com Thursday, February 28, 2013
TRACK AND FIELD
Useful lessons I learned as an Alabama student athlete By Alexis Paine Staff Reporter Editor’s Note: Alexis Paine is a member of The University of Alabama’s track and field team and works as a staff reporter for the Crimson White. For the past four years, I have spent the majority of my days in either a classroom or on the track. I’ve gained experience about trying to bombard an airport with 60 college students at 4 a.m., putting in hard work when it might seem pointless and how to maintain teammate dynamics. A lot of what I learned will
be beneficial after I leave The be better at what you’re doing. University of Alabama and Trust me, people take notice. will follow me through life. I’ve thought of six very important 2. Athletic clothes never lose their rules that I’ve learned on the funk. track that make life easier and I’m serious about this one. more enjoyable. No matter how many times you wash them or how many times 1. A little extra work won’t kill you change your detergent, you. your foul work-out clothes will It’s really easy to be lazy and always stink. So don’t wear do only what is asked of you, but them around people you don’t if you’re serious and passionate know or want to impress. They about something, go for it. An will judge you and your body extra ab workout, an extra day odor. on a paper or extra effort at a job will go a long way. It shows that 3. Listen to those who are more you care and that you want to experienced than you.
SWIMMING AND DIVING
Tide looks to qualify for championship By Alexis Paine Staff Reporter The University of Alabama Crimson Tide swim team looks to the Bulldog Invitational in hopes of qualifying for the national championship meet after competing in the Southeastern Conference Championship last weekend. Both the men and women had strong performances in the SEC meet in College Station, Texas. Both teams finished in tenth place in the meet with junior BJ Hornikel finishing fourth in the 100 meter freestyle and senior Jenna Gallo breaking the school record in the mile. The Tide swimmers are hoping to better these performances before the NCAA championship meet on March 11 in Knoxville, Tenn. Head coach Dennis Pursley said the team is using this week to recover from the SEC
championship meet before the Bulldog Invitational this weekend. “[The team] is pretty physically and emotionally drained from last week’s competition,” Pursley said. “So this week is just a slow gradual build up back into the training regimen they were used to before we tapered down for the championships.” One group of swimmers is hoping to shave a few tenths of a second off of their best times to put them in contention for the national championship meet. The head coach said this is one reason the team has slowed its practice. “We hope that an additional week of rest – again, this is a light week of training – will help recharge those batteries and hopefully give them a little bit more to perform off of,” Pursley said. Another group of swimmers did not compete in the
conference championship and Pursley said they were using the invitational as an opportunity to show that the hard work they have put into practice this season has paid off. The head coach said this meet has a different setting than the championship meet the team experienced last weekend. He said this change will challenge the team’s focus. It is a “low-key” meet, which will force the team to adjust to a less energetic atmosphere than they have seen in previous weeks, Pursely said. “It’s a very different situation from the conference championships, where it’s very intense and a high level of energy in the environment,” Pursley said. The teams will travel to Athens, Ga., for the Bulldog Invitational. Competition will commence Friday and continue through Saturday.
We all like to think that we know everything there is to know about everything. Let go of your pride and realize that people want to help you. No one knows everything or is the best at everything. Sometimes we need help. Whether it’s a coach telling you to tweak your technique or your professor giving you advice on a paper, take it. Chances are they’re telling you something that will make your life easier. Why not at least give their advice a try?
If I run down the runway with a voice in my head saying “you can’t do this,” I’m probably not going to clear that bar. The more you tell yourself you can do something, the better the chance that you will actually do whatever it is you want to do.
head faster than Usain Bolt. I’ve learned that it is important to maintain a firm grasp of every situation, but not to abuse authority.
6. Don’t give up. My first two years on the track team, I didn’t travel. I worked out as hard as I could 5. To maintain order, scare for two years without it paying everyone. off. Then, the right moment Okay, maybe that wasn’t our came along, and all of that coach’s intention when he took work began to show. Now I this job last year, but you know have a couple school records what? He has a whole lot of and an SEC Championship to 4. A positive self-outlook goes a respect from everyone on the my name. So, you never know long way. team. When he says he needs what might happen. Keep at it The more you tell yourself to see me in his office, every- even if it doesn’t seem worth you can’t do something, the thing I possibly could have it at times. Eventually, you’ll more likely it is that you won’t. done wrong runs through my reach your goals.
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Thursday, February 28, 2013 | Page 13
FOOTBALL
Williams working to prove he belongs in the NFL By Marc Torrence Assistant Sports Editor Former University of Alabama tight end Michael Williams wasn’t always a tight end. He was recruited as a weak side defensive end out of Pickens County High School and stayed there for most of his first year on campus, which ended up being a redshirt year. But as the team started preparing for the 2008 Sugar Bowl against Utah, Williams was given some curious instructions that changed the course of his career. “I was going out for my scout team duties and the tight end coach, Bobby Williams, came up to me and said, ‘Mike, catch this ball,’” Williams said. “And I caught the ball. Then he said, ‘Now run this way and catch the ball.’ And I ran that way and caught the ball. And he said, ‘OK,’ and I thought, ‘what was the point of that?’ “Then we go through practice, end of practice. And when I come back the next day, I got a white jersey in my locker. And from then on, I’ve been playing
tight end.” but my role wasn’t to run down Williams is still in Tuscaloosa, the field and catch 20-, 30-yard training for Alabama’s Pro Day, passes. That wasn’t my role which will be his last chance to on this team. I just played my impress NFL scouts in person. role to the best. Whatever they Williams wasn’t invited to the needed out there, I did it.” NFL Combine last week, and Williams still feels he can even though he is a three-time help an NFL team, however. He national met with just champion, about every he’s finding team at the his road to Senior Bowl i’m trying to get better, i’m trying to the NFL to in Mobile be a little in January, do this and that. But i’m identified steeper than where he as a blocking tight end who can catch he initially caught a the ball, too. I’m not going to blow thought. touchdown. out a safety down the middle of the The NFL Alabama field, not blow past anybody like is experienchead coach that. I use my body to get open. ing a shift in Nick Saban offensive phitold him he losophy to a still believes more wide there is a open passing place for a attack. Athletic tight ends like blocking tight end in the NFL. Rob Gronkowski and Vernon “I made a comment down at Davis are hot commodities. But the Senior Bowl that I am who at 6-6, 269 lbs., Williams isn’t I am,” Williams said. “I’m tryexactly a prototypical NFL tight ing to get better, I’m trying to end anymore. do this and that. But I’m identi“However, I can [get noticed], fied as a blocking tight end who that’s how I’m gonna try my can catch the ball, too. I’m not best to do it,” Williams said. going to blow out a safety down “You can watch the game film, the middle of the field, not blow
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COLUMN
past anybody like that. I use my body to get open. “So for me, I feel like I’m more of a possession tight end. Anything that you need. You need first downs? I can get your first downs. You need touchdowns? I can get you touchdowns in the red zone. If you’re looking for a deep threat out of the tight end position, that’s not me. I’m more of your traditional tight end. I’m going to do the dirty work for you and give the quarterback a safety net.” Williams will most likely be picked up by a team at some point – either in the late rounds of the draft or as an undrafted free agent. And that will be when the proving process will begin. And it’s a process that’s not unfamiliar for him. Coming out of a 2A high school, summer conditioning was never that difficult for him, so his first workout with UA strength and conditioning CW | Austin Bigoney coach Scott Cochran was one to Michael Williams remember. I’m gonna be great. I’m gonna be great. I’m gonna be great.’ It’s “The first day, I passed out,” crazy how Cochran works. Williams said. “Cochran picked “Because as soon as the clock hit 0:00 in Miami he looked at me me up and he looked at me and and said, ‘What did I tell you?’” he was like, ‘Repeat after me:
BASEBALL
Baseball team to host Green Wave By Kevin Connell Contributing Writer
CW File
Head football coach Nick Saban offered 14-year-old Dylan Moses a scholarship to play for the Crimson Tide.
Alabama, LSU both offer 8th grader scholarship money to play for their team in 2017 By Zac Al-Khateeb
I guess this is just the next step in the evolution of the As much as I’m a fan of col- nature of recruiting. The game lege football, every once in a of football is ever-evolving, and while a story pops up that just coaches and programs need makes me shake my head in dis- bigger, faster and stronger belief, whether for good or bad. players who can keep up with Sometimes, a story is simply the system. It makes sense that so unbelievable, so shocking, so coaches would do whatever it incredible, so bizarre, it almost takes to make sure they have transcends the sport itself. Joe a competitive edge over their Paterno, Johnny Manziel and opponents. It looks like the next step in Manti Te’o have all elicited the above reaction from me. And maintaining that edge is offernow, a new name has been ing as early as possible to added to that list: Dylan Moses. elite talent when you have the Dylan is apparently a highly chance. Even if that talent has sought after recruit and cur- yet to take a high school class. And it’s not as if Alabama rently has scholarship offers from LSU and Alabama. He’s a head coach Nick Saban has a 6-foot-1, 215-pound man-child history of making bad choices when it comes to recruiting. It’s out of Baton Rouge, La. He’s had experience on both just that he typically likes to take more time sides of the ball evaluate potenbut looks to be tial recruits a running back before offering at the next level. The game of football is everthem a scholarAnd by next evolving, and coaches and ship. He must level, I don’t programs need bigger, faster have seen some mean college and stronger platers who can serious potential – I mean high keep up with the system. to offer Dylan a school. scholarship at That’s right. such an early Alabama has age. offered a 14-yearMaybe this is a story that old eighth grader a football scholarship. If Dylan can keep won’t make much noise. After up his performance, he’ll have a all, in a few years, Dylan will be place to stay with Alabama – in at the point in his high school career when everyone will be the year 2017. We all know recruiting can gunning for him. And who’s get out of hand at times. Fans to say he won’t live up to that and media treat teenagers like potential? Maybe he’ll become celebrities. They follow their one of the next college football every move and decision reli- greats. I guess the main question giously. Recruits essentially have their own paparazzi in the this development brings up is: at what age is it too early to give form of recruiters. And all this attention is given this kind of attention to a kid? to a kid whose biggest worry I guess only time will tell, but should be who he should ask we’ll be keeping an eye out on out to prom. But this story takes Dylan to see how it works out – the cake of craziest recruiting fans, coaches, recruiters, media and all. story, hands down.
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After posting their fourth come-from-behind victory of the season against Samford Tuesday, the Alabama baseball team will complete their four-game home stand with a three-game series against the Tulane Green Wave this weekend. It’s been a year since the one-year anniversary for when the two teams last squared off on the diamond. Last year, the Green Wave took two out of three from the Crimson Tide in that series at Turchin Stadium in New Orleans, La., to improve to 10-2 on the year en route to a 38-20 season. The Tide fell to 5-6 that ultimately led to a dismal 21-34 record. That was last year though, when both teams stood in completely different positions
from where they do now. It’s the Tide who now come in as the favorites with a 7-1 record and the Green Wave struggling to get things going at 3-5. If the Tide is to continue their hot season start against Tulane, they must find an identity in their playing style. After failing to record an extra-base hit in their 5-4 win over Samford Tuesday, and only hitting 12 total so far on the season, it appears the Tide are beginning to bring a smallball approach into each game. “We just grind out at bats, get those quality at bats [and] put them together,” freshman shortstop Mikey White said. “I mean you don’t really need to drop a ball in the gap if you’re just moving runners from base to base. You can put up four runs [like we did in the fifth inning] and come back and win the game.”
A lot of may be due in part to Alabama head coach Mitch Gaspard’s new lineup that went into effect for the Samford game following the Tide’s first loss of the season against Florida Atlantic on Sunday. The shakeup moves freshman second baseman Kyle Overstreet from third to sixth, sophomore right fielder Ben Moore from fourth to third and senior catcher Brett Booth from sixth to fourth. “We just didn’t want to do anything prior to losing a ball game, but we had [it] in our minds a little bit,” Gaspard said. “I think it’s a better flow right now through the lineup, and I think that’s best for the team right now to stay with that lineup.” Despite carrying one of the worst team batting averages in the SEC at .262, the Tide has
come up with timely hits when needed, which has played a major role in winning seven out of the first eight games. However, it is what the team does on the other side of the inning that has been the biggest contributor to the strong start, Gaspard said. “I think a lot of our success right now is obviously pitching and the way we’re defending,” he said. “I think we’ve had four of five of the last games where we haven’t had any errors.” Sophomore left-hander Jon Keller (2-0), sophomore righthander Spencer Turnbull (0-1) and senior right-hander Charley Sullivan (0-0) will all likely be named starters for the series. First pitches are scheduled for Friday at 6:05 p.m., Saturday at 2:05 p.m. and Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Grant getting ready to face Gators in Gainesville By Charlie Potter Staff Reporter Alabama men’s basketball head coach Anthony Grant lives by telling his team to approach its schedule one game at a time. But a monumental matchup with the No. 8 Florida Gators is anything but just another game. The Crimson Tide (199, 11-4 SEC) is in second place in the Southeastern Conference, trailing only the top-ranked Gators (22-5, 12-3) by one game. Alabama took care of business against Auburn with a 61-43 victory on Feb. 26, while Florida fell to a surging Tennessee team, 64-58.
ESPN’s Bracketologist Joe Lunardi moved the Tide from being one of the “next four out” to one of the “first four out” of the NCAA tournament. It’s still on the outside looking in, but Alabama is moving in the right direction. The team continues to move up in the SEC standings. The meeting between these two teams on Saturday, March 2 in Gainesville, Fla., will be a battle for the top spot in the league. Grant preached the importance of the game and how it will affect the Tide’s chances in the postseason. “The next game’s the most important game on our schedule,” Grant said.
“We’ve got to be locked in, ready to go. It’s not just another game, by any stretch of the imagination. We’ve got very few of them left, so this is the most important game on our schedule, and we need to treat it as such. The game’s a very big game. Period.” If Alabama can steal a win from Florida and win its final two games of the regular season, the Tide will claim the No.1 seed in the SEC tournament and be in great shape to make the NCAA tournament. But beating the Gators at home is easier said than done, as Florida is undefeated at home this season. Grant knows a little about Gainesville, Fla., and being
in its electric arena, though he served 10 years (19962006) on Billy Donovan’s staff and helped the Gators win a national championship in 2006. Grant and Donovan are obviously close friends, but there will be no mercy when the two coaches and their teams meet on the hardwood on Saturday. “Coach [Donovan] is one of my dear friends, and he’s done a great job,” Grant said. “He’s got a great program. I’ve got a lot of respect. But our focus is going to be to try to go win a game.” The game will tip off at 11 a.m. and will be televised on ESPN2.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Crimson Tide looking to reverse 8-game skid against LSU By Caroline Gazzara Staff Reporter The Alabama women’s basketball team will travel to Baton Rouge, La., Thursday to face the LSU Tigers, hoping to end their eight-game losing streak. Alabama sits in the No. 13 spot in the Southeastern Conference, while LSU is No. 7. Though Alabama is 12-15 overall (2-12 SEC), the team isn’t focusing on the ranks anymore. Instead, coach Wendell Hudson is focusing on the team to come together and make progress as a whole when playing LSU. “It’s really hard to not be successful,” Hudson said. “We’re giving ourselves a
chance, and it’s not getting over it [that costs us].” Alabama is walking into a strenuous game against LSU due to the Tigers’ top player, Theresa Plaisance, who averages 17.8 points per game. The Tide’s top player, Daisha Simmons only averages 12.4. Previously, Alabama lost to Florida, which marked the eighth consecutive loss for the Tide. LSU is on a four-game winning streak. Hudson is trying to keep the team focused on the game at hand instead of the other team’s record. “The biggest concern about going into LSU is ourselves,” Hudson said. “When you go into LSU, you have to have a positive attitude. We also have to make some shots early, because if you make some
shots early, it not only helps you, but it keeps the other team off balance.” It’s not every day that the two teams face each other. The last time was over a year ago, but Alabama is concerned about controlling the other team’s biggest player, Plaisance. At 6 feet 5 inches tall, LSU’s bigshot has Hudson focusing in on her. “They have a post player who’s 6 feet 5 inches, who’s not really a post player,” Hudson said. “She’s the perimeter jump shot shooter, and she’s their best three-point shooter. The biggest thing we have to do is contain her and have other people make shots. We’re going to play a couple of defenses to hopefully zone some other people.”
The Tide may be hungry for a win, but they are just taking this as another game to help them get where they want to be in the long run. The team needs to make the shots in order to compete with the Tigers’ strong defensive game. “Shafontaye Meyers has got to make some shots,” Hudson said. “LSU is a match-up zone team, so if she can make some perimeter shots, as well as Daisha Simmons making some shots, we will be fine. We got to get scoring from that group of people right there, because if we don’t, that match-up zone will be a problem.” Thursday’s game will help decide on the seeds for the SEC playoffs as well as the Tide’s future in the playoffs.
Page 14 | Thursday, February 28, 2013
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OPINION
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GYMNASTICS
Alabama to clash with UCLA in top-10 matchup By Marquavius Burnett Sports Editor When Alabama and UCLA take to the mats, the stakes are always high. Between the two programs, there are 12 total national championships. Alabama has taken the last two in a row and UCLA won its last title in 2010. The No. 4 Crimson Tide and the No. 6 Bruins last met in the Super Six Team Finals of the 2012 NCAA Championships, when the Tide won its sixth national championship with a season-best 197.85 and the Bruins finished third with a 197.75. “It’s huge,” Patterson said. “They’ve won six national championships, and we’ve won six. In 2011, it came down to the floor, and we were going back and forth like heavyweight boxers. I ranked them as one of the most talented teams in the country.” Patterson said the Bruins
have a unique recruiting advantage that other programs don’t have. “They have a Hollywood influence,” Patterson said. “Kids sometimes just want to go to Hollywood and the school there, so I think they have some of the finest athletes in the country. But Patterson hinted that being in Hollywood has its negative effects. “It’s obviously different,” Patterson said. “In Hollywood, there are not 15,000 fans coming to watch a meet. They work really hard to get a much smaller crowd than we have, but it’s a whole different environment.” UCLA is hosting the 2013 NCAA Championships, its first since 2004 when the Bruins won the championship and the Tide finished third. Patterson and Alabama’s gymnasts expect to see the Bruins at nationals, just as they have in the past three seasons. “UCLA is one of our favorite teams to compete
against,” Sarah DeMeo said. “They always put up such a tough competition in the postseason, so it’s great to be able to face them during the regular season.” The last time these teams met during the regular season was in 2008 when Alabama edged UCLA 195.925 to 195.8 in Los Angeles. This meet begins a tough three-meet stretch for the Tide. Following the matchup with UCLA, Alabama travels to No. 5 LSU before returning home to host No. 1 Oklahoma in its regular season finale. “It’s great preparation for us,” DeMeo said. “We couldn’t have asked for a tougher schedule, and we are using this to our advantage.” The Tide will be without senior Marissa Gutierrez, who injured her ankle after landing awkwardly during her first tumbling pass in the floor exercise against Arkansas. Gutierrez spent the week in a walking
boot, and there has been no timetable set for her return. “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 it would take a team effort to replace Gutierrez’s contributions and noted Lauren Beers as a possible substitute on the floor exercise. The meet will begin Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Coleman Coliseum.
FAST FACTS • What: Alabama v. UCLA • When: Friday, March 1, 7:30 p.m. • Where: Coleman
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TRACK & FIELD
COLUMN
Six track and field athletes U.S. athletes are no longer diplomats set to travel to South Bend By Kelly Ward
By Kelly Ward Contributing Writer This weekend, Mar. 1-2, six members of the Crimson Tide track and field team will travel to South Bend, Ind., to compete in the Alex Wilson Invitational hosted by the University of Notre Dame. This meet serves as a last-chance qualifier for the NCAA Indoor Championships to take place in Fayetteville, Ark., on Mar. 8-9. The Alabama men’s and women’s teams placed 7th and 10th respectively at the Southeastern Conference Championships last weekend. “I couldn’t be more proud of this group and how they have developed over the course of the season,” head coach Dan Waters said. “Considering we have such a young team that is inexperienced on the SEC level, they have really competed and advanced through the indoor season.” These six athletes the Tide will send include Elias Hakansson in the men’s weight throw, Alexis Paine in the women’s pole vault, and in the 4x400 relay, Joel Lynch, Ken Taylor, Dwight Davis
and Quincy Smith. They look to join Krystle Schade at the NCAA Championships later this month. “We are sending six athletes to Notre Dame in an attempt to get them qualified for the NCAA indoor meet. Both Elias [Hakansson] and Alexis [Paine] are right on the cusp of making the field in their events. So is our 4x400 relay,” Waters said. “This is simply one last opportunity to get them into the meet. If they can qualify, who knows what can happen at that point? We’re confident that they can, due to their consistent improvement through the season to this point.” Hakansson was named SEC Freshman of the Week the week of Feb. 12 for his recordbreaking performance in Lincoln, Neb., on Feb. 9 at the Nebraska Triangular. He broke a 15-year-old school record in the weight throw. His throw of 66-9 1/4 surpassed Derrick Jones’ previous record by 3 1/2 inches. “Elias [Hakansson] is one of our newcomers in his first season with us. He is a hammer thrower in the outdoor
season but had never thrown the weight before this indoor season,” Waters said. “So, he has literally been learning the event by competing this winter, and his marks, for a guy that really is just figuring out the event, are very impressive.” Last weekend, Paine took top honors in the pole vault at the SEC Championships when she cleared 13-8 1/2. She also broke her own Alabama record of 13-5 1/4. She now holds five of the top six pole vault clearances in Alabama history. “Alexis [Paine] has really developed into an excellent pole vaulter for us. She broke the school record and won the SEC Indoor title last weekend, and she has really focused and worked hard in the event,” Waters said. “She’s been a tremendous asset to our program. She’s one of the athletes that was here before we arrived and has really bought in to what we have been telling our team. She’s a great example for her teammates.” These six athletes will make one last attempt to meet the automatic qualifications for the NCAA Championships.
COLUMN
Feel-good sports stories allow escape By Andrew Clare It seems like every year in sports there are always feelgood or comeback stories, and every year, sports fans fall in love with these stories. Why do we always embrace and pay more attention to these comeback stories? I think we tend to root more and more for these feel-good stories because there has been a lot of turmoil in sports lately, such as steroids, paying college athletes and substance abuse. These feel-good stories allow us as fans to escape from all the turmoil and let us become a part of something bigger than any one individual. In the past year, it seems like there have been more feel-good stories gone bad instead of regular feel-good and comeback stories. Stories such as Lance Armstrong, Manti Te’o and Oscar Pistorius have gone from good too bad in what seems like a matter of seconds. We all know the story about Armstrong. He was diagnosed with cancer and came back to win seven Tour De France’s in a row. He was one of the most inspirational athletes of our lifetime. Then, last year, rumors came out that Armstrong was dop-
ing during his Tour de France run. Earlier this year, in a sitdown interview with Oprah Winfrey, Armstrong admitted to doping to gain a competitive edge in the Tour. I was disappointed to hear about Armstrong, and I probably wasn’t the only one either. I was inspired by Armstrong when I was younger; I wore a Livestrong band and also had a Livestrong shirt. I looked up to him like many others. What Armstrong did is exactly why sports fans turn to comeback and feel-good stories to escape from the sports world full of steroids, cheating and performance enhancing drugs. The Te’o story to me is probably the most bizarre twist on a feel-good story in history. The biggest headline of this past college football season was the season the star Notre Dame linebacker had after the passing of his grandmother and his girlfriend. This would make a great story if it were true. By now most of you know that Teo’s girlfriend never actually existed. He claims he was a victim of an online prank. I don’t know what to believe about this story; I was a fan of Te’o all throughout his college career. Like most, I don’t know if he is telling the truth or not.
I like to think he is because of the type of leader he was on and off the field. I think a lot of fans who followed Teo’s story have lost a lot of respect for him through this whole scandal. The Pistorius story is probably the most tragic sports story since the O.J. Simpson trial. Pistorius, a double amputee, warmed hearts all over the world this past summer as the first paraplegic to compete in the Olympic Games. He was a crowd favorite at this past year’s games, as well as an icon to many. I thought Pistorius’s story was inspirational; he never gave up and went through so much adversity to get to the biggest stage in the world. Unfortunately, earlier this month Pistorius was charged with murdering his girlfriend in his native South Africa. I was very shocked and sickened by this story. A man who seemed so harmless turned out to harm another human being. In the next couple years I hope that we don’t see any more feel-good stories that have gone bad like the Armstrong, Te’o and Pistorius stories. Many fans all over the world, including myself, want to see stories of underdogs who overcome obstacles with no controversy attached.
On Feb. 22, 1980, a team of amateur hockey players represented an entire nation deeply embedded in the Cold War. This team took on the Soviet hockey team, but more importantly, this team took on communism itself. When did we start leaving our politics to sports? And more so, when did we stop? After the communism vs. democracy spectacle that took place in Lake Placid, N.Y., we have not had such a monumental sporting event since. In case you have been living under a rock, democracy won in 1980 and officially in 1991 when the Soviet Union finally collapsed. Even further back in history, American Joe Louis took on German Max Schmeling in 1938 in the World Heavyweight Championships. Yes, 1938. This fight took place one year before the start of World War II. So was it a prelude to what would happen in the war? Not necessarily, but it was another instance where we, the American people, represented an international struggle with a game. So are we done fighting our battles in the arena? The simple answer is no. It took over 40 years to have another monumental game between the Louis vs. Schmeling and the “Miracle on Ice.” Maybe we will see another international feud play itself out on the field in the next 10 years. But do we really want that
to happen? We live in a country where we aren’t currently concerned with going to war with Germany or the Soviet Union. We should let our sports be sports, and when the opportunity comes, maybe think more of the game than it really is. After all, I don’t think that the United States’ inability to field a men’s soccer team is anything more than the fact that soccer is not our favorite sport. I doubt that the men’s national team’s loss to Honduras is foreshadowing an imminent war or even an exchange of world power. It’s not as if a decisive victory in soccer or any other sport against North Korea would
simply stop their nuclear program. It would not change the North Korean people’s morale. In fact, they would probably hear that they won the game and that Kim Jongun scored the winning goal. There is no reason to make sports into the be-all and end-all of our hopes and dreams as a country. We should celebrate our athletes’ achievements, but we should not place international responsibility on them. Yes, the Olympics are a great way to celebrate our athletes on an international stage, but we have to remember that they are not our diplomats. They are phenomenal athletes and should be treated as such.
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Thursday, February 28, 2013 | Page 15
SOFTBALL
Softball team consistently selling out Rhoads By Adrienne Burch Assistant News Editor Thousands of Crimson Tide fans made the trip to Tuscaloosa last weekend to see a national championship team return to their home field for the first time this season. This time, the fans didn’t come to watch football. The 2012 national champion University of Alabama softball team has built a fan following that can be defined by the sign hanging in Rhoads Stadium naming them the ‘best college softball fans in the country.’ “I think it’s amazing that the football capital of the United States can embrace college softball in the way it has,”
head coach Patrick Murphy said. This season, reserved seating in Rhoads Stadium has sold out for the fifth consecutive year, Beverly Wright Chandler, assistant director of ticketing, said. “Softball is one of the hottest tickets in town,” said Emily Pitek, member of ESPN’s Hall of Fans for her dedication to the Crimson Tide softball program. “I am thankful I became a season ticket holder when I did because now there is a waiting list.” The benchmark for softball ticket sales was set in 2008 with the first season ticket sellout of more than 1,200 tickets and then continued in 2009 when the Tide fans broke the single
season attendance record for NCAA college softball. Rhoads Stadium also holds national attendance records for both the NCAA Regional and Super Regional tournaments. “It’s impressive,” Pitek said. “I told Kirk Herbstreet that we are right on par with Duke Basketball’s Cameron Crazies. We have rabid fans.” The completion of the Brickyard, tier seating in the outfield, in 2011 brought the capacity of Rhoads to 3,940, making it the largest on-campus stadium in the Southeastern Conference. So with the grandstand seats consistently selling out prior to the season, a few years ago Murphy began setting goals for Brickyard
season tickets. “Each year Coach Patrick Murphy sets a sale goal for Brickyard seats, and we have met that goal in each of the past six seasons,” Chandler said. For the 2013 season, she said there have been more than 500 Brickyard season tickets sold, which is in addition to the 1,200 grandstand tickets. Murphy said he thinks the main reason fans come back again and again to watch his team play is because they win. He said the Tide has won close to 90 percent of its home games. “This means people go home in a good mood, and they come back wanting to have the same feeling,” he said.
Steve Jackson, from Northport, Ala., said he has been a softball season ticket holder for eight or nine years. “I just started going,” he said. “Once you go you’re hooked.” Jackson said he has people beg him all the time to sell his tickets to them. “But, they’re real hard to give up,” he said. Jackson said he enjoys the speed of softball and watching the reactions of the players when they win a big game. Pitek said the intensity of the game is what initially drew her to softball as well, but she gives majority of the credit for the faithfulness of the Tide fan base to Murphy. “I think Murphy is the sole
reason for the number of fans we have,” she said. “He knows how to grow a sport and a following with it.” She said Murphy does the little things like telling the crowd to be louder and letting his players stick around after the game to sign autographs. “These little things make impressions that last for a lifetime on people,” Pitek said. Though softball draws thousands of dedicated fans, Chandler said it is not the only women’s sport with a huge fan base. “The gymnastics program is very competitive in ticket sales,” she said. “The fan support and turnout for gymnastics and softball is remarkable at each home event.”
SOFTBALL
Alabama still undefeated after routing Bulldogs 11-0 By Kelly Ward Contributing Writer The Alabama softball team routed Samford 11-0 Wednesday in front of a crowd of 2,602 people. It was the stillundefeated Tide’s 17th win this season. Leslie Jury pitched a one-hitter through five innings. After Samford’s first three batters failed to get on base, Alabama opened up in the bottom of the first with a lead-off single from Kayla Braud. Haylie McCleney grounded out on a fielder’s choice to the Samford pitcher and advanced Braud to second base. Kaila Hunt hit a double down the third base line, allowing Braud to score. Jackie Traina hit a single into shallow centerfield, and Hunt scored to put the Tide up 2-0 at the end of the first. Samford again failed to score
in the top of the second inning. home. Third baseman Danielle The Tide racked up three runs Richard celebrated her 20th in the bottom of the second birthday in style with a two-run when McCleney home-run. Then, reached on error pinch hitter allowing Jackey Molly Fichtner Branham and doubled in I think the longer someone Braud to score. Chaunsey Bell. stays around with you the Hunt batted in Alabama put more confident they’re going McCleney to the final points to get. We want to put people make it 5-0. on the board in away early. After Jury the Tide’s 11-0 retired the side victory over the — Patrick Murphy in the third, Bulldogs. Alabama chased Samford tried the Bulldogs’ to rally in the top pitcher, Mollie Hanson, after of the fifth inning after Caitlin loading the bases with one out. Bice singled with one out to Samford walked in two runs end Jury’s no-hitter. The next bringing the score to 7-0 after two batters grounded out in the three. infield to end the game. Alabama racked up four Head coach Patrick Murphy more runs in the fourth inning had nothing but praise for after Danae Hays reached Jury’s performance. second on an error, sending “She’s used to winning,” pinch-runner Andrea Hawkins Murphy said. “There used to
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be a tentativeness and a passiveness. Especially when she would get behind in the count or someone would hit her. Now, it’s not a big deal. Someone gets the first hit, she’ll come back and get the next two.” The sophomore pitcher improved to 6-0 this year with a 1.17 ERA. “I’m just working hard every day, and we’re playing great defense behind me,” Jury said. “We’re just continuing to do well as a team and shut people out.” Alabama will now prepare to play five games in three days. Thursday at 5 p.m. the Tide will play a make-up game against the University of South Alabama before hosting Iowa State University and St. John’s University in the Easton Classic this weekend. “South Alabama will be one
of the best if not the best team we’ve faced all year. I know they’re going to be ready for us. We’ve got to be prepared. The same with Iowa State and St. John’s,” Murphy said. “I think the longer someone stays around with you the more confident they’re going to get. We want to put people away early.” After her two-run home run, Danielle Richard said she was looking forward to the tournament this weekend. “It’s a challenge. Bring it on, that’s all I’m saying,” Richard said. “We live for the challenge. So if you’re going to be here, you’re going to expect the challenge to come at you and take it on.” The Tide will play Iowa State Friday at 3:30 p.m. and CW | Cameron Hamner Saturday at 4 p.m., then face Alabama pitcher Leslie Jury, a St. John’s Friday at 6 p.m. and sophomore, sends the ball SamSaturday at 1:30 p.m. ford’s way.
Page 16 | Thursday, February 28, 2013
NEWS
OPINION
CULTURE
SPORTS
Crimson Tide weight room gets $9 million makeover
By Marc Torrence Assistant Sports Editor University of Alabama strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran led reporters on a tour of Alabama’s new $9 million, 37,000 square foot weight room Wednesday. The new facility features state-ofthe-art equipment, including 20 combination racks with platforms built into the ground for a safer workout environment, a nutrition center and Cochran’s favorite part, the sound system. “That was the number one thing I asked for,” an enthusiastic Cochran said. “I’m big on the jock rock! Love that. ‘Cause you never know the day. ‘The day.’ Everybody knows the day. ‘Man, I just don’t feel like it.’ Those are the days I crank that music so loud they can’t hear anything. Can’t even hear me.” The weight room looks out on both the Thomas-Drew Practice Fields and the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility. It’s open to all athletes, but will primarily be used for the football team. “It’s jaw dropping,” Cochran said. “But I think if you see – not only is this stuff brand new and nice – it’s no different than ever before. It’s hard work
CW | Marc Torrence
that we’re going to put in. So things don’t change, is what I’m getting at.” The tour started on the ground floor, which is 21,000 square feet on its own. It contains the combination racks, a dumbbell station that is set to arrive Thursday, the nutrition center and television monitors that show players proper lifting form. It also houses the controls for the blaring sound system. “I could care less. I don’t understand any of it anyway. I get crunk either way,” Cochran said of the music selection. “Every day I walk in the door right there. It doesn’t matter. You’re humbled by this. It’s like, why do I deserve this. Why do I – why do the players – why do any of us deserve this.” Players can go to the nutrition bar for smoothies and other healthy snacks. There’s also a sign on the wall that reads, “Sweat is just your fat crying.” “You’re not going to find anything like this. They have everything. You can have whatever you like,” said Cochran, who paused to do his best impression of rapper T.I. “And obviously [nutritionist] Amy Bragg takes care of us back
here. But you’re going to have everything you want to help them get ready for a day and to finish a day strong.” The cardio room is upstairs, along with medicine balls and a doctor’s office. The facility will also be a big selling point to recruits who visit campus. And for the players who are already in Tuscaloosa, there was a moment to take everything in before it was back to work. “Everyone’s jaw dropped,” Cochran said. “It was simple. You could either give them a whole bunch of rules and tell them a bunch of, ‘this is what’s different.’ I decided, blow the whistle, let’s go to work. We’re not gonna change anything just because it’s beautiful.” Cochran said he had a lot of say into what went into the weight room – the sound system was an especially strong request of his. But ultimately, final decisions went to one person. “This was the boss, baby. I just say ‘Yes sir,’” Cochran said. “Come on, I ain’t no fool now. Coach Saban said, ‘This is how we want to do it?’ Yes sir. ‘So CW | Kevyn Bowling do you want to-’ Yes sir. Come on, I ain’t questioning that man. Above: UA strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran walks reporters through UA’s new weight room Below: The facility includes a nutriotion bar, where athletes can eat healthy food throughout the week That’s crazy.”
NEWS
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Thursday, February 28, 2013 | Page 17
COLUMN | FOOTBALL, MEN’S BASKETBALL
Tide fans need to stop overreacting about Combine, Alabama basketball NCAA tournament low chances By Billy Whyte Around this time of year, with the NFL Draft and March Madness looming, sports fans and sports media start to overreact to everything that happens. In particular, we are too focused on the NFL Combine and the perceived “bubble” of the NCAA tournament. Let’s start with the NFL Combine. The combine measures player’s attributes like speed, strength, quickness, etc., to give teams an idea of a player’s athletic abilities, but are often taken as absolutes for an athlete’s playing abilities. For example, we all know Manti Te’o ran a slower-thanexpected 40-yard dash of 4.82 seconds, but his speed or lack thereof shouldn’t be as much of a concern as the fact that he got pushed around like a pinball by the Alabama offensive line and couldn’t tackle Eddie Lacy or T.J. Yeldon for the life of him in the BCS National Championship Game.
There is a high frequency of combine “stars” who end up as draft busts (Dontari Poe from last year is a great example) because we place too much stock in how fast a player can run 40 yards or how many times they can bench press 225 pounds. Jesse Williams may not have broken the record for most reps at the bench press, as many thought he might do (he only did 30 – the record is 51), but it’s not going to affect his draft stock like some might think. No one who has seen tape of him can doubt his strength and ability to swallow up offensive linemen, and one measurement shouldn’t change anything. Florida cornerback Joe Haden only ran a 4.57 40 at the combine in 2010, bringing up concerns he may be too slow to play cornerback in the NFL, but he has been outstanding for the Cleveland Browns over the last three years and has proven he is way faster than his 40 time might indicate. Really, the combine should just help improve your opin-
ion of what you already know. We all knew heading in to the 2011 NFL draft that Julio Jones was a monster of a receiver, but he was a borderline top10 pick. Then he posted a 4.39 40 time and the longest long jump among receivers and was ultimately drafted 6th over-
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Stop with all this nonsense that Alabama could still make the NCAA Tournament even if they don’t beat Florida or win the SEC tournament.
all by the Falcons. Another good example this year is Dee Milliner. Heading into the combine he was considered a likely top-10 pick, based largely on his outstanding coverage skills and physical play at Alabama. After running a 4.37 40 time, it would be a miracle, it seems, for Milliner to make it past the 5th overall pick. The combine
should reinforce what we know, not be the basis of our opinions. The other thing everyone seems to be largely misguided on is Alabama’s bubble chances. ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi said, Alabama is currently four spots out from making the tournament. This doesn’t mean Alabama is actually four spots away from making the tournament. If Alabama was a part of the last four in, then they still would be a couple spots out from making the tournament. If they were five to six spots in, they would still be a spot or two away from making the NCAA Tournament. Why is this true, you may ask? There are two reasons – one, because teams automatically qualify for the NCAA Tournament by winning its conference tournament, and two, because college basketball is crazy and unpredictable. And in a season like this one where there are no elite teams and March Madness should be even madder than
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usual, there will be a lot of random teams that come out of nowhere to win conference championships, moving every team on the bubble down a spot. And since five to eight teams annually unexpectedly win conference championships each year, you have to be well up on the bubble to even have a chance of making it. So stop with all this nonsense that Alabama could still make the NCAA Tournament even if they don’t beat Florida or win the SEC tournament. Alabama still has too many bad losses
and not enough wins, and with the way the SEC tournament format is set up, without winning the tournament Alabama would only get one game against a good SEC tournament team, and an extra win over Ole Miss, Tennessee or Arkansas wouldn’t be enough. Alabama only has two options if it wants to make the NCAA Tournament: beat Florida or win the SEC Tournament. Let’s stop pretending we have any other options, and just forget about “the bubble.”
COLUMN | WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Women’s basketball team working to improve for next season, will only lose 2 seniors By Caroline Gazzara
CW | Cora Lindholm
The Alabama women’s basketball team is in the middle of a disappointing year, but feels it can be better in 2014 with returning talnet
To many people, Alabama is known for its powerhouse sports and the die-hard fans. Even though women’s basketball hasn’t produced a winning season in years, Alabama has produced a number of seasoned players as well as recruited some players who should help boost the team to a long-sought-after winning season. Current rankings list the Crimson Tide as No. 13 in the SEC, just above Ole Miss. After facing fierce competitors such as Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia, Alabama isn’t at the place it needs to be in order to win against very successful teams. At the end of the season, the Tide will only lose two seniors to graduation, which means that next year’s team will be
more prepared and capable return for her junior year. of starting out the season betSimmons is the top player ter than before. Graduating for Alabama, shooting an seniors are Jessica Merritt average of 12.4 points per and Meghan Perkins. game. Meyers follows closely Of the two that are leaving, behind averaging 11.6 ppg. both have started at least once Robinson averages 9.9 ppg. if not more this The rest of the season. Merritt team returning only started in is also getting It really boils down to the non-conference the practice character of the young games, where and play time ladies. as Perkins has they need to started for all help turn the — Wendell Hudson conference team around. games. Freshman Nikki Unlike most Hegstetter has SEC schools, Alabama is able started the past four games, to keep most of its best players, making her debut against at least until next year. Three Arkansas two weeks ago. By of the top players are all cur- letting younger players start, rent juniors, which can help coach Wendell Hudson is prelead the team to a better next paring the team for the future season. Shafontaye Meyers seasons. and Jasmine Robinson will Contrary to most sports, return for their senior years Hudson knows he has to and Daisha Simmons will season his players early on.
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Though he has recruited four valuable players and is trying to recruit a few more, it’s important to maintain the level of commitment the current team already has. “It really boils down to the character of the young ladies,” Hudson said. “It really depends if the character of the young ladies will show up. What has shown up is that we have had some really good character people, because when you go through a season like this, it becomes a headache because you want to win one, but we’re working on ourselves.” Though this year didn’t turn out to be the season many anticipated, the upcoming season that has overwhelming size and talent coming in should be promising to the fans who have faced many losing seasons.
COLUMN | WOMEN’S TENNIS
Alabama women’s tennis team ranked in top 5, grit and chemistry contribute to overall success of this season By Andrew Clare For the first time in school history the Alabama women’s tennis team is ranked in the top five in the country. The Crimson Tide has started the year off with an 8-1 record; the only lost the Tide has suffered this season was a 4-3 defeat at the hands of then 14th ranked Northwestern Wildcats. What has made the women’s tennis perform so well so far this season? I have had the opportunity to watch the ladies compete several times this year. There are quite a few factors that I think attribute to the team’s success, but the three biggest have been the schedule, the team’s
grit and the team’s chemistry. The schedule the Tide has played this year has been a very difficult one. It has faced a countless number of ranked opponents this season, such as the University of Texas, Clemson and Baylor. I think a schedule like this will help any team, regardless of the sport. I think this schedule is good for the Tide because it puts the team in tough situations and allows the team to gain experience from the tough matches it has played. The experience from the matches will help the team down the road. The team already has experience in playing for
a championship, as it competed in the ITA National Indoor Championships in Charlottesville, VA earlier this month. I believe the experience the team got from playing in this tournament has really boosted its confidence, as well as gaining momentum that has carried on to this point in the season. To me another key thing the women’s team does so well is fight. The ladies continue to fight when their back is against the wall. The team is a very gritty and tenacious and will play every point like it is the last. I’ve had the opportunity to see the team fight to the very
end a few times this year. In its last match, the Tide was down 1-0 to Texas Tech. The girls showed great resilience and girt, they never got down on themselves and came back to defeat a very good Texas Tech team. The way the Tide competes and fights is just a testament to the team; it will always give it all it has no matter the circumstances, and as the season goes on I’m sure Alabama will continue to fight when it’s down to the final point. Team chemistry is crucial to the success of a team, and for the women’s tennis team it is no different. Every match I’ve been to I have observed how close the team is to
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There are quite a few factors that I think attribute to the team’s success, but the three biggest have been the schedule, the team’s grit and the team’s chemistry.
each other. The team plays for one other. Each member supports the other and always encourages them by rooting them on after each point. I think that the team chemistry is also a testament to the character of the team and shows how badly the ladies want to win, and how much they want to
win for each other. As conference play begins this weekend I think the Tide has a very good opportunity to continue its success. If the ladies continue to work hard as well as keep fighting, I think they have a good shot at competing or even winning a national title.
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Page 18 | Thursday, February 28, 2013
NEWS
OPINION
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DIY UA hosting 2nd knitting party for beginners Thursday Creative Campus event is a predecessor for future programs to benefit chemotherapy patients By Katherine Owen Assistant Culture Editor Following a successful turnout at their first Do-It-Yourself knitting party last semester, DIY UA, a Creative Campus project, will host a second event Thursday, Feb. 28. The gatherings are for old and new knitters alike, and include a tutorial by Talia Scarpelli, a sophomore majoring in art and knitter since fifth grade. “I am instructing the attendees on the basic knit and purl stitches,” Scarpelli said. “I am terrible at making hats, though so I’ll be learning that with them.”
“A bunch of people came and even asked to do another, and really it’s become this • What: DIY UA Knitting response and answer kind of thing which is really cool,” Party Howard said. “It’s really a community thing.” • When: Thursday, Feb. Attendees will need to bring their own needles and yarn 28 from 6:30 p.m. to and will be instructed first on 8 p.m. the pearl and knit stitches. Following the basic stitches, • Where: Maxwell Hall Scarpelli will guide attendees in knitting hats. Howard said this time, Katie Howard, Creative though, the event prepares for Campus project lead for the future events where crafters DIY knitting event, said the will knit for a cause. second gathering comes “This DIY event kind of segin response to the positive ues into future events where feedback from the first event. we make hats for patients going
IF YOU GO...
through chemo,” Howard said. different stitches and patterns. “It’s a really fun thing to do but So it’s both fun and relaxing, especially when it’s for a really and I don’t think people should good cause.” discard it as an Scarpelli said old cat lady type not only is the hobby.” craft beneficial Knitting is Sometimes in the sea of to others, but it just one of the meeting and homework is also personways Creative people have in college, perally soothing. Campus and sonal creativity gets pushed “Knitting can DIY UA try to to the wayside and doesn’t be a very therabring creativpeutic exercise, ity, exploration get a chance to develop.” so it could be a and community stress reliever to campus. Past — Talia Scarpelli for some peoevents include ple,” Scarpelli the previous said. “Once you knitting session learn how to knit, it is addic- and a bleach-printed T-shirt tive, you want to knit things for event; future projects include all your friends and practice a “cooking in the dorm” video
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series. “DIY encourages people to be creative, and the different sorts of crafts that Creative Campus DIY does give people a lot of opportunities to find something they’re good at or they enjoy doing,” Scarpelli said. “Sometimes in the sea of meetings and homework people have in college, personal creativity gets pushed to the wayside and doesn’t get a chance to develop.” The DIY UA “knitting party” will take place Thursday, Feb. 28 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Maxwell Hall. Howard said attendees simply need to bring “your needles, yarn and DIY attitude.”
Vintage vendors to hold 2nd Northport market March 11 By Alexandra Ellsworth Staff Reporter On a sunny December Sunday, just a little off the beaten path in Northport, Ala., around 30 artists, collectors and vintage aficionados gathered under a small pavilion to sell their wares and bring a little vintage verve to the Tuscaloosa and Northport areas. The collection of vintage vendors were a part of a new vintage market called 5th Street Vintage Market brought together by curators Lori Watts, owner of This Ol’ Thing Vintage; Sylvia Parker, also known as DJ Tom Kat Kitten; and Jamie Cicatiello, owner of Grace Aberdeen Habitat Alchemy. “The market was extremely successful,” Jamie Cicatiello said. “We were surprised at how big of a turnout we had. We knew it was a success because we kept hearing the other vendors saying that they were hav-
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The market was extremely successful. We were surprised at how big of a turnout we had. We knew it was a success because we kept hearing other vendors saying that they were having such a good time. — Jamie Cicatiello
ing such a good time.” After its success in December, 5th Street Vintage Market is returning Sunday, March 3, to Northport from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring dealers from the region who specialize in vintage clothing, furnishings and vinyl recordings. The market will be at the Northport pavilion by Kentuck. Lori Watts said they are expecting around 40 vendors this time. Almost all 30 of the vendors from the December market are returning, plus an additional 12 new vendors. Serena Blount is among the vendors ringing their praise. Blount is an English professor at the University and owner of
Vintage Squalor, an Etsy shop where she sells mostly vintage clothes. “The first market was tons of fun,” Blount said. “I enjoyed seeing what everyone else’s booths looked like and browsing their vintage finds. The day was gorgeous. Everyone was in good spirits, and, at the end of it all, everyone felt like the market was a grand success.” Blount will be selling more of a variety of vintage items at the market than is in her Etsy shop. “Once the market opened, I couldn’t believe how many people showed up – social media definitely did its work for us – and it was great fun to see lots of faces I knew from
around campus and around town,” Blount said. “But what was even better was meeting lots of people who just saw our sign as they were driving by and pulled in to see what was going on.” The 5th Street Vintage Market curators are making the market monthly eight months out of the year. The market seasons will be March through June and September through November. Astri Snodgrass, a graduate student studying painting at the University, is another market vendor who is looking forward to this weekend. She will primarily be selling her knitting. “It’s such a fun way to spend a Sunday,” Snodgrass said. “I’m excited to put out a lot of new things that I’ve made since the last market. I’m hoping that the weather will be as nice as last time.” Blount said she definitely plans to keep participating in the market and is looking forward to the second market.
“The thing I’m looking most forward to on Sunday is the experiment of bringing out new items to see what people are interested in, what brings people into our booth and what sells,” she said. “It’s kind of like the thrill I imagine people get from gambling.” Watts and Cicatiello both hope to see more of the college crowd this Sunday. “[The first market] kind of brought both old and young alike,” Watts said. But Cicatiello said she was hoping there would be even more UA students this weekend. “We had a lot of people in the thirties,” she said. “But of course, we would like some 20-year-olds too!” Snodgrass said an event like this is a great way for students to get more involved within the Tuscaloosa community. “It’s so easy to stay inside that bubble of school without really experiencing the place you live in,” she said. “Anyone
can benefit from finding some unique thing that you can’t go out and buy at Target or something. It’s a great feeling to find something one of a kind and well made.” Blount said the market could be a good opportunity for students to stay fashionable and trendy by taking advantage of an opportunity to get real vintage clothing. “Vintage style is in,” she said. “Lots of retail stores are capitalizing on the trend, but to me, buying ‘new vintage’ is like buying a fake – why not find the real deal? Vintage clothing can contribute to a unique wardrobe, as can furnishings and collectibles contribute to an apartment, dorm room or house that isn’t straight off of the aisles of Target and Pier 1. This is a fun way to branch out, discover people and parts of Tuscaloosa and Northport that they might otherwise never see and score some good finds while they’re at it. What’s to lose?”
NEWS
OPINION
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Thursday, February 28, 2013 | Page 19
Site funds creations of students, professors Alpine Living, creative writing program have used Kickstarter to find funding, get projects off ground By Deanne Winslett Staff Reporter The age of the internet has enabled people to pursue all kinds of creative endeavors, from a high-tech computer mouse that fits on a user’s index finger to calendars made of cats dressed as magical creatures. These projects, along with thousands of others, can be found and funded on Kickstarter.com, an online program for funding creative endeavors. Kickstarter works by allowing people to create a page dedicated to their project. After the project is created on Kickstarter, it is open for funding. Strangers, friends and family then have the opportunity to view the project and donate money towards its funding. According to Kickstarter’s website, the organization has helped find funding for more than 35,000 creative projects.
It has had more than $45 million pledged by more than 3 million people since it first launched in April 2009. “Thousands of creative projects are funding on Kickstarter at any given moment. Each project is independently created and crafted by the person behind it,” the website reads. “The filmmakers, musicians, artists and designers you see on Kickstarter have complete control and responsibility over their projects.” Kickstarter has found a niche locally, with six active projects in the Tuscaloosa area and 36 in the Birmingham area. It has also been used by University staff and students as a way to fund educational projects. “Two of my students were spearheading the effort to get us set up on Kickstarter and to help us manage the logistical stuff,” said Kim Bissell, associate dean of research.
“Kickstarter seems like a wonderful idea or program for start-ups and for people who need just a little bit of funding to launch a very cool project.” Bissell’s students turned to Kickstarter as a way to gather funding for their magazine, “Alpine Living,” an international travel magazine published by the journalism department and created by students and staff. They were able to gather the money they needed as well as some additional funds. “We managed to raise the money we had set as our goal, so we then used the money to distribute to the entire group of ‘Alpine Living’ staffers,” Bissell said. “I would definitely recommend it for groups or individuals who need a little bit of money to get a program going.” While the program helped them gather the funds they needed, Bissell cites its reli-
“ With Kickstarter, you are seeing people who would traditionally be thought of as audience take an active role in the creation of something. — Chip Brantley
ance on social media as a downside to the program. “I would say the only downside to it is that it relies heavily on your ‘friends’ or family via social media. I did feel a little bit guilty about asking people I knew for money,” Bissel said. After using the program to create funding for the second edition of “Alpine Living,” they were unable to continue using the program for future “Alpine Living” projects because of Kickstarter’s emphasis on new projects. “’Alpine Living’ magazine used Kickstarter two years
ago prior to the publication of the fourth issue, but because Kickstarter backs new projects, “Alpine Living” was not really appropriate for use again,” Bissel said. Chip Brantley, a journalism professor at the Capstone, has also used Kickstarter extensively in the past. He began using it when he was looking for funding for a creative writing program in Birmingham. Through Kickstarter, he was able to get the necessary financial backing for the project, and since then has consulted with others to help them
navigate through the program. “I think it’s incredible,” Brantley said. “I think it’s enabling a type of support for creative projects and enabling people to do creative projects that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to do.” Brantley said projects benefit from the connection made between audience and creator. By opening projects up to public funding, the “audience” or the consumer for the programs is able to have a direct involvement in its creation. “I think it creates this dynamic between what we traditionally think of as audience and creators,” Brantley said. “With Kickstarter, you are seeing people who would traditionally be thought of as audience take an active role in the creation of something.” For more information on Kickstarter and to look into local projects, visit the program at Kickstarter.com.
COLUMN | HEALTH
Health Hut takes ‘Cash Cab’ approach to students’ health education By Tricia Vaughan Fans of the Discovery Channel’s “Cash Cab” can now experience the show first-hand. The health edition, that is. The University of Alabama’s Department of Health Promotion and Wellness is implementing a new educational outreach method: driving students around campus and asking them health-related questions for prizes. Starting March 4, Health Hut interns and health ambassadors will drive
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“I think it’s a great idea. Who doesn’t want a free ride to class and free stuff?” — Brianna Vivian
their fellow students to their classes in the “$wagon,” a Global Electric Motorcar with the Department of Health Promotion and Wellness
emblem etched on its sides. The peer educators will ask UA students questions about the health topic of the week during the free ride to class and dole out giveaways in turn for participating. “It’s a different way for us to reach out to students,” said Jessica Vickery, assistant director of health education and promotion and advisor for the Health Hut and Project Health. “We’re always looking for different ways to reach out to students. It’s a positive way to influence positive behavior changes.”
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TinHREE FOUR “
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Last fall, in a conference in Orlando, Vickery learned of the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s mock “Cash Cab.” The comparatively much smaller school had higher outreach numbers than the Health Hut, so Vickery decided to bring a similar concept to the University. “It’s cool, different and it catches people’s attention,” Vickery said. “And we can do it with any type of weather.” Not to mention, students don’t even have to get the questions right to win a
prize. The prizes vary from buttons, koozies and piña colada-scented hand sanitizers to cups and T-shirts. Much like “Cash Cab,” students are given points for the questions answered. The number of points a student is awarded will determine the type of giveaway they win. There are four seats in the $wagon – one for the driver, one for the person asking questions and two for participating students. Health Hut Intern Brianna Vivian, a senior majoring in nutrition, is one of the trained drivers
for the $wagon. “I think it’s a great idea,” Vivian said. “Who doesn’t want a free ride to class and free stuff? I think people will be really excited to get involved.” Students can find the $wagon in action from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Health Hut outside Lloyd Hall and on Thursdays on the opposite side of the Quad by Carmichael Hall. They may also wave down the car if they see it driving around campus with no one in it, Vickery said.
NEWS OPINION CULTURE SPORTS
CULTURE
Page 20 Editor | Lauren Ferguson culture@cw.ua.edu Thursday, February 28, 2013
Arts ’n Austism celebrating 9 years of service By Megan Miller Staff Reporter
Arts ’n Autism, an afterschool program for autistic children in the Tuscaloosa community, will be hosting their eighth “Stand Up for Autism,” a comedy night to benefit the program Friday, March 1. The event will be held at the Bama Theatre at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m. Single tickets are $30, couples tickets are $50. The event will feature local comedians Rick Dowling, Brad Fisher and Max Karrh, as well as special guests. There will be food, a cash bar and a live auction that will include various donated items, like gift cards and vacations. All proceeds from the event will go directly to Arts ’n Autism.
In between each of the comedian’s stand up acts, audience members will be educated on the Arts ’n Autism program and what the program does in the community. “We want you to laugh and have a good time, but we also want you to learn more about autism, Arts ’n Autism and how you can help,” Suzanne Dowling, development director for Arts ’n Autism, said. “It’s a fundraiser, but it also raises awareness, which is just as important.” Dowling said this fundraiser is unique because, unlike other more traditional fundraisers, it doesn’t require any physical activity. “You don’t see a lot of comedy fundraisers, and that’s what makes this fundraiser different from a lot of others,” Dowling said. “This fundraiser doesn’t ask you to walk,
run or play golf. Exercising your funny bone is just about the only exercise you’ll get.” Rick Dowling, husband of Suzanne Dowling, is one of the comedians who will be featured, and Suzanne Dowling said because they have a 21-year-old son with autism, her husband’s routine draws from those experiences. “Believe it or not, there are humorous moments in our lives,” Dowling said. “Just like any other family, we have funny stories to share.” Dowling said because she has a child with autism, this program is very personal to her, and it also gives her a lot of satisfaction that it is able to go beyond her child. “We’re about to celebrate nine years of being an afterschool program,” Dowling said. “What we found was a lot of families were having
to quit their jobs or cut back, or use grandparents because no after-school activities or programs were taking kids with autism. Kids were getting kicked out, and there was nowhere for them to go.” The program has three goals: provide the children with a place to go after school, provide a place for them to get therapy and better themselves and provide parents with rest or a break from being primary caretakers. Participants in the program range from ages 3-22 years old and participate in different activities like dance, yoga, cooking and other art projects, which are taught by professional volunteers in the community. “Everything’s been planned, and every activity is therapeutically based,” Dowling said. “It’s for social skills,
communication skills and fine motor skills. We work on things like following instructions, sitting still, waiting your turn, holding your pencil and a lot of other things people take for granted.” Michelle Samaritan, a senior majoring in early childhood development and intern for the Arts ’n Autism program, said because autism affects one in 88 children, it is important to provide a community that’s inclusive and educated. “We’re bringing together a community from the ground level up,” Samaritan said. “It’s one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had to date.” Samaritan said working with the program has given her a more holistic, applied experience with not just the kids, but their families also. “The program gives the
opportunity for a parent to be a parent and be a cheerleader for their kid, and that lesson can never be taken away from me,” Samaritan said. “It’s so much fun to work with the parents too and see how excited they are.” Anna Sara Sandlin, a senior majoring in marketing who has been helping with public relations for Stand Up for Autism, said the event is an easy way for UA students to show their support for autism. “We should all unite around any program in our community that helps children learn important life and social skills that they may not get otherwise,” Sandlin said. Tickets can be purchased online at standupforautism. com, or at The Downtown Gallery, Matt Clinton Designs or Hudson-Poole Fine Jewelers.
COLUMN | GAMING
Sony comes out swinging and hits home run with approaching PS4 launch By Nate Proctor Box or no box, the PS4 (thus far) proposes to be everything gamers and the industry have been waiting for. Console announcements are typically dull affairs, revealing only what catches the eyes of mainstream media and current or prospective shareholders. Lengthy discussions of minimal hardware specs, monetary nongaming initiatives and generic pie-in-the-sky hyperbole are the norm. Sony instead came out swinging with game after game, feature after feature and innovation after innovation. A slew of “next-gen” games were run in what promised to
be real-time, (and looked fantastic) a new, Xbox-inspired controller with a front-mounted touch-pad was revealed, promises of Gaikai cloud-based gaming, and a slate of specs equating, more or less, to a topof-the-line PC with an astounding amount of high-speed memory. With many best-case scenarios projecting “some” concept footage or tech demos to arise from the conference, the company’s willingness to showcase games in-engine was shocking and spoke volumes about Sony’s take on this round of hardware. Sony is no longer operating under a “build it and they will come” philosophy, but
creating a platform for gamers and for game developers. Throwing gamers a bone in showing them that which translates the best, actual gameplay, and via the likes of a new Mark Cerny IP in Knack, Capcom’s Deep Down, Jonathan Blow’s The Witness and another peek at Watch Dogs, is a fine and exciting gesture, but is just that – a gesture. Sony backs this up ,however, with small innovations such as the elimination of lengthy boots into games and the potential of a well-integrated “share” mechanic and cloud management of PSN products and demos (and the even more aspirational “entire Playstation library target”).
They’ve laid out a system that tosses aside the complex cell processors that complicated past development for PC-centric hardware, capped by 8 GB of unified GDDR5 RAM, with an unheard-of-amount of memory capacity and speed ideal for next-gen development. Beyond this, the apparent lack of arbitrary exclusive requirements, be it through the continuation of typical Blu-ray, Bluetooth and USB support or the usage of Ustream in their social hooks, is promising. The meat of the system is near perfect. This, however, will come at a cost. The mass of memory and power behind the machine, by
all estimations, will skyrocket the system’s price above the console norm, (frightening to say the least, considering the premier PS3’s initial $600 price tag). Given their consumerfriendly demeanor thus far, another attempt at a hefty launch price will prove surprising and again costly. Deferring the price via contract plans similar to those provided by cell phone companies have been rumored for both upcoming next-gen systems and may be another solution, unless Sony is willing to take the PR and production hit of removing some memory or power from the system. The plausibility of Gaikai functionality will
also remain a concern until it proves us otherwise. Despite these concerns, Sony’s announcement was a home run. Microsoft may struggle to compete in the gamer-space if it continues a more family-oriented and universal platform style of marketing and development. But, with the stakes raised and potential console market shrinking, it would be shocking if Microsoft’s eventual 720/Durango announcement doesn’t take a few cues from Sony. One way or the other, this sudden explosion of speculation and potential competition will result in gamers winning and an exciting next generation.
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Thursday, February 28, 2013 | Page 21
MARKETPLACE
How to place a classified: For classified line ads visit www.cw.ua.edu and click on the classifieds tab. For classified display
ads call (205) 348-7355 or email cwclassmgr@gmail.com for a free consultation. The Crimson White is published four days a week (M, T, W, TH). Each classified line ad must run for a minimum of four days and include no less than 16 words.
HOUSING CLASSIC 2 STORY house, near campus, 4 bdrms, 2 bths, great kitchen, washer/ dryer, hardwood, central air/ heat, fun deck, private backyard, security system. $1,100. 205-342-2497. Available August 1st. LOFTS TUSCALOOSA AND NORTHPORT 2 bedroom, 1 bath. $1150-$900-$750. Roof-deck 205 657 3900-205 752 9020 CLASSIC 2- STORY HOUSE Available August 1st, near campus, 4 bdrms, 2 bths, great kitchen, washer/ dryer, hardwood, central air/ heat, fun private deck, lrg. backyard, security sys. $134,000 or $1,200. 205-342-2497 205-657-1831 MOBILE HOME FOR SALE BY OWNER 2Bed/2Bath 14x70 Tuscaloosa, close to UA. Outdoor storage unit included. $21,000. (256)4379000 CAMPUS EFFICIENCY APTS. beside Publix. $425/ mo. water included. No pets. 1 year lease and security deposit required. Call (205)752-1277 CAMPUS 3 BLOCKS away, 1 bedroom apartment, Hackberry Place $450/mo water & garbage included. Lease and deposit required. No pets. Fall 2013 Call (205)752-1277
JOBS $BARTENDING$ $300/ day potential, no experience necessary. Training available. (800)965-6520 Ext.214. EARN $1000-$3200 A month to drive our brand new cars with ads. www.FreeCarPay. com 29 SERIOUS PEOPLE WANTED make money from home $1500-2500PT, $50008000FT www.transforminglife.vemma.com DCH HEALTH SYSTEM has a full time opportunity for a Documentation Support Associate and the following per diem positions available: Yoga Instructor, Water Aerobics Instructor, Cook, Food Service Assistant and Cashiers. For more information and to apply online please visit our website at www.dchsystem.com
ANNOUNCEMENTS CLASSIC COMICS AND ALBUMS: large collection of comic books, albums, movie posters, sports memorabilia, DVDs/ CDs, beer signs. In Skyland Antique Mall, 311 Skyland Blvd, and Bama Flea Mall, Birmingham. Details on Facebook.
Sudoku
RATES
Best Commercial Rates:
4-8 days is $.50 per word. 9 plus days is $.35 per word.
Student/Faculty Rates:
$.35 per word. You must register with a Crimson Mail address to get this rate. If you enter your ad under student rate without a Crimson Mail address your charge will be adjusted to regular price.
DEADLINES: Classified line ad deadline is the previous business day by 4:00 p.m.
HOROSCOPES Today’s Birthday (02/28/13). Overall, this year is about fun, love and creativity. Domestic life bustles until summer, when romance carries you away. You’ll both teach and study this year. Travel to an ancestral home. Keeping financial and time management practices in well-oiled harmony provides ease and peace. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is an 8 -- You’re more responsible for getting your economy growing than you think. Close friends help you surpass obstacles. There’s profitable work coming in. Accept their encouragement. Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Find the perfect balance between work and play, or combine them. It’s possible. But don’t overlook possible breakdowns. Take care not to provoke jealousies. New opportunities open up. Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Disagreements motivate action and create a domino effect that helps solve the puzzle. Your input is key. Go ahead and be decisive. Don’t waste time arguing. Notice what you’re committed to. Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Your heart is torn between business and pleasure. You know which one to choose if you consider carefully. Home calls you tonight; postpone travel or risky propositions. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is a 9 -Things may seem upside down today, but your mental powers are strong. Don’t gamble with your reserves, however. Make sure to take care of your health. Discipline is required. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is a
9 -- For the coming month, rely on a supportive partner. You’re very lucky in love now. Add organization to avoid missing an important date. Stop doing something that’s unprofitable. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is a 9 -- Look deeper and gain insight into your own higher values. Begin planning home improvements. Do what worked before with a touch of your own originality. Drink plenty of water. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is a 6 -- Be cautious with money. Try not to spend it all, and you could even profit. Give your partnerships some care. It’s best if you don’t force things to fit. Gentle pressure works best. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is a 7 -- Love is all you need. Detours may happen on the way to your destination, so you may want to give yourself plenty of time. Get in touch with your creative and open mind. Friends lend a hand. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is a 9 -- You take on a vast project. Being well organized is crucial, especially because not all turns out as it appears. Give it full effort, complete the level, and get a bonus. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is an 8 -- Don’t buy treats now; add them to your wish list. Your experience is worth more than your possessions. Throw your hat over the fence and commit to something you’ve always wanted. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is a 6 -- There may be conflicting orders, which forces you to be creative. Being prepared is only part of the equation. You also have to learn to improvise. It’s all in the listening.
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PROJECTFUNDED By Katherine Owen and Lauren Ferguson | CW Staff For creative minds who have all the right ideas but not enough funds, Kickstarter provides a way for dream projects to become reality. Through the online platform, the public can donate directly to ideas and in turn be part of bringing a project to life. Whether it’s creating the world’s thinnest watch or an origami-inspired kayak, Kickstarter brings innovative ideas to interested consumers. This week The Scene checks out local Tuscaloosa designers, writers, creators and inventors who have seen their own share of success on Kickstarter.
CULTURE
Page 22 . Thursday, February 28, 2013 Lauren Ferguson Culture Editor Katherine Owen Assistant Culture Editor Alabama Garage, Surf, and Punk Compilation by Jason Bama’s most primitive garage rock, wildest reverb drenched surf riffs, and the fastest frantic punk songs on ONE RECORD!
138%
$2,291
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AUG 11, 2012
Recording “On the Frontline,” a song about saving animals by Kim Gentry Berteal wants to record “On the Frontline,” an original song about saving animals.
100%
$1,000
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AUG 11, 2012
Trial of the Clone: A Choosable Path Gamebook by Zach Weiner by Zachary Weiner
salvaging optimism: finding some relief in a heap of debris by Tanya Mikulas
A sci-fi adventure comedy where you choose your own pathway, collect items, gain points, and strive to save the universe.
a photoessay documenting the promise of a new day in a landscape of destruction
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AUG 11, 2012
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AUG 11, 2012
by Tyler Gobble
Alpine Living prepares new generation of travel journalists by Chris Jackson
Four undergraduate creative writing students are traveling from Indiana to Alabama to present their work, with readings and chapbooks.
Help 18 journalism students at the University of Alabama produce a magazine on the culture, community and people of Munich.
Slash Pine Poetry Festival Trip
100%
$1,000
FUNDED
122%
$3,670
FUNDED
FUNDED
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AUG 11, 2012
FUNDED
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AUG 11, 2012
What’s your CREATIVE PROJECT? Photo Illustration by Daniel Roth