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Page 18
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Serving the University of Alabama since 1894
NEWS | SGA
Vol. 119, Issue 115
NEWS | SEVERE WEATHER
Former SGA Measuring building safety president seeks Most April 27, 2011 EF4 tornado damage done by EF1 or EF2 winds CASE city council seat STUDIES Survey Location No Damage EF 0 EF 1
Calderone will move to Tuscaloosa politics By Adrienne Burch Assistant News Editor
Former SGA President Matt Calderone announced Wednesday he will run for the District 4 seat on the Tuscaloosa City Council. District 4 covers the downtown Tuscaloosa area and the University of Alabama campus. Calderone ended his term as SGA president April 2. He will graduate from the University CW File in early August with an underMatt Calderone graduate degree in political Calderone said his time as science, shortly before the election Aug. 27. As a sopho- SGA president allowed him to more, Calderone interned with gain knowledge about the true the city and was a member of needs of the student body and Mayor Walt Maddox’s Incident how those students need to Recovery team following the advocate a voice outside of the UA campus. April 27, 2011 tornado. “My term, Calderone and experisaid it has not ences prior to always been his it, also gave me plan to run for My term, and experiences the opportunity a seat on the prior to it, also gave me the to engage the Tuscaloosa City opportunity to engage the non-student Council. non-student population of population of “I am runTuscaloosa. Tuscaloosa ning for city in order to council because — Matt Calderone enhance stumy experiences dent-communiin Tuscaloosa ty relations and have led me to advance the city a point where I feel called to serve our com- we call home,” Calderone said. Jimmy Taylor, current SGA munity,” he said. “I want to continue the tremen- president, who served as vice dous success our city has president of external affairs had by strengthening the under Calderone, said he relationships between The thinks Calderone would do University of Alabama, the an amazing job representing city of Tuscaloosa and entire District 4. Tuscaloosa community,” he SEE CALDERONE PAGE 12 said.
-Constructed of timber, gable roof with rafter -Destroyed while neighboring buildings had less damage -Back part of house crushed by falling tree -Garage roof completely collapsed on cars while rest of building stood -Church 2 -Wood frame, glued laminated timber (glulam) with brick siding -Glulam frame members collapsed -Entire addition area completely destroyed -Roof panels appeared to be taken away by the wind, could not be identified on site 3
“
EF 2
-Single family home -4,821 square feet
1
EF 3 EF 4 Damage Boundary
3 1
4
April 27, 2011 Damage Sites
2
4
-Two-story, 18 unit apartment complex -Wood frame construction -2x4 wood stud walls, metal roofing -Gable end truss and upper story wall completely removed -Half of bottom story wall completely removed, other half still connected to second story floor but separated from foundation -Evidence of cut nails being dragged off foundation while wall was blown out
-Light commercial business -Apparently designed with wind load consideration, hurricane clips connecting the roof truss to top of walls -Metal sheet roofing over wood panels -Debris damage at the south side corner of the complex -Some of the exterior wall collapsed due to missile impact -Pressure built from inside and damaged the roof -Building also suffered damage to windows extensively CW | Ashley Thomas, Source: Tuscaloosa Tornado Rapid Deployment Damage Assessment Team
By Mark Hammontree Staff Reporter In the days and months following the storms and tornadoes that ripped through Tuscaloosa and much of Alabama on April 27, 2011, UA professors, administrators and students took part, not only in rescues and clean up work, but also in research projects in various fields concerning tornadoes. While some departments
studied the aftermath of such a case of extreme weather and others attempted to research preventative and preparatory measures, all the researchers were united in their efforts to make the most out of the widereaching tragedy. The storm’s destruction and fallout provided an opportunity for the study of everything from building structure and materials to real estate markets and the environment in the wake of a powerful
tornado. Professors in the civil engineering department realized this window of study was time-sensitive but could potentially reveal industry-changing results. Andrew Graettinger, a professor in the civil engineering department, worked with several colleagues from the University and other universities as part of a response team gathering information directly in the wake of the tornado to study the impact of the storm
on how the mainly wood-frame structures were engineered. “We looked at a phenomenon that hadn’t been engineered for before, which is tornadoes,” Graettinger said. This study was unique, Graettinger said, because in the past, people have assumed that nothing can be done to prevent an EF4 or above tornado from wreaking this level of destruction.
SEE TORNADO PAGE 12
NEWS | HB 57
House Bill 57 sparks debates about Alabama abortion clinics abortion clinics throughout the state, into law Tuesday. Gloria Gray, director of the West Alabama Women’s Center in Tuscaloosa, said this By Sarah Elizabeth Tooker bill was a very poorly writStaff Reporter ten piece of legislation, taking Several Tuscaloosa advo- away a women’s constitutional cates are making their voices right to make a choice. “Clearly the intent is to put heard after Governor Bentley signed House Bill 57, which abortion clinics out of busiincreases restrictions on ness,” Gray said. “Taxpayers’
Bentley signed HB 57 into law on Tuesday
money is being wasted when it should be put towards health care or feeding the elderly, and legislators are wasting it passing abortion bills that are completely unnecessary.” Gray said some of the clinics could meet portions of the new bill, but not one of the five clinics throughout the state could meet all of the new requirements outlined in the bill.
“Each clinic will of course try and comply with the law, and if we cannot, we will take the necessary steps to protect a woman’s right, including litigation if it comes to that,” she said. The bill, formally known as the Women’s Health and Safety Act, is not doing what it claims to, Gray said. “An abortion is the safest surgical procedure in the U.S.,
and the five clinics in the state of Alabama have an extremely low deficiency rate compared to other clinics,” she said. In regards to future action, Gray said the West Alabama Women’s Center would not back down. “We’re planning on doing whatever is necessary to continue to offer this service to women,” she said. “We will not
go down without a fight.” Samaria Johnson, the incoming president of Alabama Alliance for Sexual and Reproductive Justice, said her group lobbied in Montgomery against this bill’s passing, and they will continue in their efforts despite it being signed into law.
SEE HB57 PAGE 2
SPORTS | SOFTBALL
Leslie Jury leads Tide to 11-0 victory against Blazers Alabama shut out UAB in 6 innings Wednesday By Kelly Ward Contributing Writer If anyone had any doubts about Alabama softball after Tuesday night, they changed their minds after the Crimson Tide’s 11-0 rout over UAB Wednesday. The Tide had 14 hits in six innings after only managing 11 in seven innings the night before. er • Plea s
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“What a difference,” head coach Patrick Murphy said. “Leslie [Jury] gave us a great start, one of her best performances, and we hit some very good pitchers. I don’t think they get enough credit usually, but I know that they’re very good. [UAB’s Lauren] Webster had their best numbers, and I think we had seven or eight hits against her in two and a third innings. Just everybody had really good at bats.” Leslie Jury (13-3) received the win after pitching six shutout innings. She had five strikeouts and only allowed four hits and one walk.
INSIDE today’s paper
“I think she had a little bit of swag to her,” Murphy said. “She had a lot of confidence. Her body language was awesome, and she’s done that all season long. She did it in the fall … She’s just carried into the spring. She only had one walk, which is key for her. I thought she pitched really well. They hit us pretty good at UAB. Just a great presence to her, like a look that ‘I belong.’ She didn’t have that last year.” Behind Jury’s pitching, the Tide opened up the game in the second inning, scoring four. After loading the bases in the third with one out, the Tide
Briefs ........................2
Sports ..................... 15
Opinions ...................4
Puzzles.................... 17
Culture .................... 11
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was paralyzed when Jordan Patterson passed out and was slow to get up. She was checked out and appeared to be okay. “It was kind of scary,” Kaila Hunt said. “She passed out. She wasn’t like all there. They had to go get the paramedics and all that. That as a teammate, you’re kind of worried about your teammate in a sense. You’ve got all this momentum to get the bases loaded, and then it deflates because CW | Alaina Clark everyone stops.” After the 11-0 win over UAB Wednesday, coach Patrick Murphy praised Leslie Jury’s SEE SOFTBALL PAGE 2 (above) performance.
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President Barack Obama called for higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans in his proposed new federal budget released Wednesday, but he also offered for the first time changes aimed at stemming the burgeoning costs of Medicare and Social Security. His budget would increase spending by $93 billion in the fiscal year starting Oct. 1, reaching a total of $3.78 trillion, while the deficit would drop from this year's $973 billion to $744 billion. Long term, he proposed twin moves to start grappling with the nation's sky-high deficits. He urged new tax increases. And he proposed slowing the growth of Social Security benefits. His plan would cut projected deficits over the coming decade. Yet it would continue to borrow and would add another $8.1 trillion to the debt, a 47 percent increase. And he proposed new taxes and fees, including a nearly $1 hike on a pack of cigarettes, for a flurry of new programs to boost the sluggish economy. Obama sought to project his budget as one that would allow lawmakers to look beyond the fiscal squabbles that have defined Washington, saying it shows it's possible to both boost the economy and trim the deficit. "If we want to keep rebuilding our economy on a stronger, more stable foundation, then we've got to get smarter about our priorities as a nation," he
Law likely to cause closure of state clinics HB57 FROM PAGE 1 “It’s simply another way to undermine a woman’s choice,� Johnson said. “Keep in mind that in a number of states, including Alabama, that choice is already limited by legal factors such as waiting periods, parental consent as well as socioeconomic ones
said. Those words were seemingly directed at allies as much as critics. Senate Republicans didn't wait for him to finish speaking before labeling the budget a "dud." And some Democratic lawmakers accused Obama of looking to sacrifice the core Democratic achievements of Medicare and Social Security. "What's different is that he seems to be offering entitlement changes that look like an olive branch to the Republicans and, as a result, he's alienated everyone," said Roberton Williams of the centrist Tax Policy Center. "He's doing the right thing. I just don't think in today's environment it's going anywhere." Obama cast his 2014 proposal as a "fiscally responsible blueprint for middle-class jobs and growth," mixing increases in spending on manufacturing, research and construction with tax hikes for the rich and a slowdown in the growth of entitlements such as Social Security. His proposal includes $1 billion to open 15 "manufacturing innovation institutes", $50 billion for upgrades to roads, bridges and other infrastructure, plus money for 100,000 science and math teachers. It includes more than $4 billion to help secure overseas diplomatic facilities in the aftermath of the fatal Sept. 11 attack in Libya, and $580 million to help fledgling democracies in the post-Arab Spring era. It calls for a $75 billion
preschool program for lowand moderate-income 4-yearolds, financed by raising the federal tax on cigarettes to $1.95 per pack from $1.01. White House officials say the budget strikes a balance between spurring the economy through spending while reducing projected deficits by $1.8 trillion over the next decade from savings in health care, entitlements and interest as well as new revenue. The deficit would amount to about 2.8 percent of the total economy by 2016 and 1.7 percent by 2023. Republicans countered that the reduction would be only slightly more than $119 billion, because the president wants to restore $1.1 trillion in across-the-board spending cuts that took effect in March and count $675 billion in war savings that were expected regardless of his budget. To stem the deficit, Obama wants to raise $580 billion in taxes from the wealthy. He'd raise taxes by requiring households with incomes over $2 million to pay at least 30 percent of their income in taxes. He'd limit tax deductions for the wealthiest 2 percent, including prohibiting individuals from accumulating more than $3 million in tax-deferred retirement accounts. And he'd use a new formula aimed at slowing the growth of Social Security and other benefits, cutting $230 billion from projected spending over the next decade. Senate Minority Leader
Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the budget is filled with perennial proposals. "It's mostly the same old thing we've seen year after year," he said. Under Obama's plan, discretionary spending that covers most domestic and military programs would remain mostly flat, rising from $1.2 trillion in the first year to about $1.3 trillion a decade later. But spending on entitlement programs _ even with Obama's offer to slow the growth _ would balloon from $2.31 trillion in the first year to about $3.61 trillion a decade later. Some Democrats opposed
Obama's plan because of its more conservative measurement in calculating Social Security cost-of-living adjustments for beneficiaries, though some programs, including those for veterans, would be exempt, and benefits would be increased for the very elderly. "It's not the budget I would write on my own, and it includes several policies that I don't think are the best ways to tackle the deficit and debt," said Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat who chairs the Senate Budget Committee.
like transportation costs.� The anti-abortion sponsors, Johnson said, may have hid behind apparent pro-women concern, but the ultimate goal is to reduce or wholly eliminate access to abortion while sidestepping any actual legal opposition to Roe v. Wade. “Not only will women and the families suffer that added cost of childbearing and rearing, but the state will bear the brunt of underprivileged families seeking taxpayer-
funded aid,� Johnson said. “If a woman cannot afford care for herself or her child, that’s money being taken out of somebody else’s pockets.� HB 57 will certainly not help prevent these things, Johnson said, and it also physically and financially limits the ability of abortion providers to serve their community in an efficient way. On the other side of the coin, Courtney Pixler, president of Bama Students for Life, said this new law would hold abortion facilities to higher
medical standards after the Alabama abortion industry has proven itself to be dangerous and unsafe for women. “A 2013 deficiency report from the Alabama Department of Public Health showed that the West Alabama Women’s Center failed to meet its own standards for hand washing, glove usage, cleaning of supplies and safe use of sharp containers,� Pixler said. Even though babies will continue to be aborted, she said, women will receive higher standard of care now
from facilities like the West Alabama Women’s Center, which makes profits from abortions, their only priority. “If abortion facilities like the West Alabama Women’s Center are unable to meet proper medical standards, then they shouldn’t be open and putting women and their unborn children at risk,� Pixler said. “This law will hold abortion centers to proper medical standards, which will protect women from Alabama’s lucrative abortion industry.�
three, and it’s like we’re back in it so that was huge on her part to stay focused,� Hunt said. Alabama found its momentum again, scoring three runs on four SOFTBALL FROM PAGE 1 hits in the bottom of the fourth After the scoreless third, Jury inning. Then with two outs in took the mound again to retire the bottom of the sixth inning, the side. the Tide loaded the bases for “Leslie [Jury] goes out there freshman Leona Lafaele’s pinch and shuts them down one, two, hit walk-off grand slam.
“Anytime you have no errors and a shut out today in college softball, I think you’ve done a good job,� Murphy said. “It’s hard to shut anybody out nowadays.� The Tide looks to extend its three-game win streak against Southern Mississippi on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Rhoads Stadium.
Murphy praises team for shutting UAB out
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NEWS OPINION CULTURE SPORTS
NEWS
Page 3 Editor | Melissa Brown newsdesk@cw.ua.edu Thursday, April 11, 2013
Taylor discusses plans for ďŹ rst term as president By Adrienne Burch Assistant News Editor Last week, Jimmy Taylor began his term as Student Government Association president for the 2013-2014 school year. Taylor ran unopposed for this year’s SGA president position, but said this did not change his outlook at all. “I told my staff that no matter what happens we are going to talk to as many student organizations as we can, as if we had three opponents,â€? he said. Though the student population at The University of Alabama reached a record high of 33,602 students last fall, participation in the 2013 SGA elections saw a 41.94 percent decrease from the 2012 election turnout. This election was also the first time in at least a decade that the presidential race was uncontested.
Taylor said despite the low voter turnout in this year’s SGA election and the lack of students choosing to run for positions, he still feels the SGA is valued on campus. “I don’t think the significance of SGA has diminished at all,â€? he said. He said he believes the reason there was not a big turnout of people running for SGA this year was because of the expansion of campus. “There are so many new groups ‌ on campus,â€? Taylor said. “People have found that they can be leaders across campus and find something that maybe specifically fits them more appropriately.â€? This growing number of student organizations is at the center of Taylor’s plans for his term in office. “As more organizations have
formed across campus, the SGA has shifted more to a focus of helping these groups accomplish their goals and being there for student groups,� Taylor said. “We aren’t just doing projects on our own anymore.� Taylor said these projects include a program where the SGA brought in a younger and older member of the organization and asked how the SGA could help them. He also mentioned the Campus Connect program where an SGA member goes and speaks to organizations about things that the SGA is doing and how they can benefit their groups. “I owed it to the students. I want you to see my face, I want you to know who I am and I want you to feel comfortable walking into my office and telling me about your problems,� Taylor said. Taylor said his administration is already looking into
several projects that could have an immediate impact on students. For example, The University of Arizona has an external scholarship program where students enter their information on a website that will tell them about relevant external scholarships that they otherwise would not be matched up with. “We want to try to partner with them and bring that program here,� Taylor said. He said vice president of student affairs, Hamilton Bloom, is also working on a project involving parking issues on campus. Bloom is looking into a smartphone application used at Clemson University that tells students when parking is available across campus. Will Pylant, SGA executive vice president, said he has a lot of high hopes for what the SGA will be able to do for the study body this
next year. “There are some challenging issues SGA must address over the course of next year, but we have the right man for the job leading us in President Taylor,â€? Pylant said. He said Taylor is a terrific manager. “Jimmy keeps things efficient around the office while also making sure that SGA provides a fun experience for everyone involved,â€? he said. “It is truly a pleasure to serve alongside him.â€? Taylor has appointed Leela Foley to serve as the SGA Director of Media Relations for his term. Foley said she thinks Taylor is a leader that both knows how to get work done and be compassionate to the people he serves with. “I know he will serve the stuCW | Shannon Auvil dent body as a leader they can SGA President Jimmy Taylor says relate to and depend on,â€? Foley he doesn’t think SGA’s signiďŹ said. cance has decreased at all.
Students can propose, help create new academic courses By Sarah Elizabeth Tooker Staff Reporter Several UA students have put their academic interest and creativity to the test during their stay at the Capstone by creating classes of their own that other students have the ability to take. The process of creating new courses starts at the academic department level and is then approved by their respective colleges, interim Provost Joe Benson said. “A student who wishes to propose a course would have to find an academic home and identity a qualified instructor to teach the course,� Benson said. “That instructor would then propose the course through his or her department.� One student, Madalyn Vaughn,
a junior majoring in accounting and public relations, created a new course called PlanFirst with the help of her brother, Wesley, after taking a Moral Forum class in fall 2011 . “We are both interested in city planning and development and came up with the idea after becoming involved in the Tuscaloosa Forward plan following the April 27, 2011 tornado,� Vaughn said. “This class has given students an opportunity to be engaged in the city they now call home by allowing them to meet city officials and by giving the students rare insight into the city planning process, something that is not prevalent in the University’s offered courses.� Vaughn said when the course is taught, which is set up into a lecture series through the Honors College and the Center for Ethics
and Social Responsibility, her main role is to facilitate class discussion. “Beyond lectures, the students will be put into groups based off similar interests in the planning process and begin working on a final presentation for the city,� she said. “This past fall the focus was the Strip and students focused on a certain aspect of the area they believed could be improved and used their skills from their particular major for their presentation.� Vaughn explained that PlanFirst’s major success in its first semester came after the students were able to share their presentation with Mayor Maddox and other city officials. “Each student group presented their analysis ideas and Maddox led a discussion regarding when
they may see their ideas put to action,� she said. Stephen Black, director for the Center of Ethics and Social Responsibility, is a co-instructor for the course alongside Tuscaloosa city planner John McConnell. “Madalyn and her brother proposed the development of PlanFirst, a unique servicelearning course, to facilitate a partnership between UA students and the city of Tuscaloosa,� Black said. “They developed the syllabus, recruited guest lecturers and identified readings and films relevant to the course.� Black said granting students the freedom and resources to dream up and develop new courses helps students become more engaged in their coursework and their community.
“It gives them the opportunity to move beyond just hearing and regurgitating material for tests and encourages them to think deeply about systemic problems and possible solutions,� he said. Black explained the Honors College and New College allow students and faculty the
opportunity to work together to create innovative courses. “Our staff members enjoy helping students turn their passions into long-term initiatives and guiding students and faculty through the service-learning course development process,� Black said.
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Page 4 Editor | John Brinkerhoff letters@cw.ua.edu Thursday, April 11, 2013
TODAY’S TOPIC: ABORTION
This week has seen an explosion of discussion on campus surrounding abortion, one of the most polarizing and personal issues in American politics. With statements such as “End Womb Lynching” chalked on the Quad and the anti-abortion group Bama Students for Life hosting an “extremely graphic” display on the Quad equating abortion to the Holocaust, the debate has reached a new level of intensity at the Capstone. Given the recent legislation signed into law by Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley restricting abortion rights, discourse holds a key role in the future of abortion rights in this country. Yesterday, The CW Editorial Board ran an “Our View” calling for a more
informed conversation on the issue. We received many responses to our column, as well as the events this week hosted by BSL. Today, we are publishing some of these submissions. These views offer a diverse critique of the rhetoric employed by both sides in this debate. While some feel that that the language used this week is offensive and extreme, others have defended it as a necessary depiction of abortion. Although abortion is not easily addressed, it is our hope that these columns will open the door for further discussion on the issue. John Brinkerhoff is the opinion editor of The Crimson White.
ABORTION
BSL’s belief in their own infallibility has cost them credibility in this debate By Nathan James Senior Staff Columnist The first thing I saw when I approached Bama Students for Life’s billboard display was a man arguing with a woman, the latter near tears. As I listened, she explained that she had ancestors who had died in the Holocaust. She then told the man how offensive she found the display before walking away, visibly emotional. I asked the man she was arguing with, the founder of BSL, what he thought about people who were offended by the parallels being drawn between abortion and the Holocaust. “I think it’s funny to hear Jewish people object to us
Nathan James
showing pictures of the Holocaust, because a few decades ago they were clamoring for these pictures to be released to the public,” he responded. He didn’t seem to understand why the analogy would seem tasteless to a prochoice individual with connections to Holocaust victims.
My second noteworthy experience was a conversation with the vice president of BSL. We discussed the fact that the graphic protest was occurring coincidentally with an elementary school tour of the campus. “What would you prefer?” she asked me. “That a born child see an image of abortion, or that unborn children continue to be killed by abortion?” The third thing I saw that struck me was a poster claiming that abortion leads to breast cancer. This claim has been debunked by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists as well as the U.S. National Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society, World Health Organization
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
and more. When asked, a BSL associate gave me a pamphlet citing studies to the contrary, which included a 1978 study in the USSR. To me, the entire protest was evocative of a fundamental flaw in the pro-life movement. That flaw is prolife’s belief in its own moral infallibility. Because organizations like BSL believe they are protecting the lives of infants, they believe they can justify using any means to accomplish their goals. For this reason, they are often willing to abandon honesty, taste, respect and prudence to fight abortion. What BSL doesn’t understand is that to everyone who does not hold a strong opinion
on abortion already, you are just another political activist group. And as of Wednesday, you are a political activist group that has disrespected Holocaust victims, put children at risk of being traumatized and lied about issues that affect the health of women. Bama Students for Life, please listen. You may think that extremist methods are the only way to achieve your goals. However, you should know that Wednesday, you eroded the moral authority and credibility of your cause. You told everyone who was watching that you are willing to abandon your principles, even your sense of decency, if you think it will prevent an abortion. And in the short term, yes,
one or two impressionable people might carry their fetuses to term because you convinced them that they would get breast cancer or that abortion would make them like Hitler. But in the long term, you contributed to the gradual slide of your movement into a morass of incoherence and incredibility. You did things that made you, and your cause, weaker – both in terms of public perception and moral integrity. The University of Alabama noticed this, Bama Students for Life. And we will remember.
Nathan James is a sophomore majoring in public relations. His column runs weekly on Thursdays.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
BSL, Speer both fail in effectively Anti-abortion proponents only restrict messaging their case on abortion rights freedom of choice for American women As typically happens on the topic of abortion, both sides have such a pitiful way of messaging. Both pro-life and prochoice groups often spend more time labeling the other side as hateful rather than actually looking at the topic with compassion. Pro-life groups sling mud on one side saying that pro-choice people hate babies; pro-choice groups sling mud the other way claiming that pro-life activists hate women having choice. John Speer, in his opinion piece “Anti-abortion groups should back up opinion with facts,” fails to mention one fact. John spends much time talking about the comparison of pro-life groups to the civil right movement stating, “The last time I checked, I don’t remember being in the womb, much less fighting for my rights within it.” Are rights now defined by if you can remember past events? I hardly remember anything before the age of 5, but to say a
child has no rights because he won’t remember anyways in a few years is as you put it a “dangerously asinine assumption.” Here is what is needed for the discussion from both sides: Pro-life people: Does a woman have rights to her body and if so, what limits are you proposing? For many pro-life advocates, they would desire that even if the mother’s health in danger, she should have the baby anyway. Sometimes both survive, sometimes neither. But those scenarios are full of unknowns and uncertainties; it is impossible for anyone to make a fully informed decision. Pro-choice: When is a baby considered a person? John avoids answering that question by simply saying that there is no consensus, and I guess therefore concludes that babies have no rights whatsoever. This makes his argument just as inhumane as he tries to make the other side’s argument appear.
The fact is that, according to U.S. Census Bureau (that’s how you use facts), about 46 percent of abortions in 2007 were repeat patients. This is a number that I would think both sides would like to see reduced. Instead of arguing legislation (one of the most difficult methods of change), why don’t we work together to get information to those who are having abortions and to teens, educate them and together reduce the number of abortions. Jeremy Hamilton is a senior majoring in computer science.
“Abortion is murder. Abortion is genocide. Abortion can damage a woman’s body for life.” It is these statements that anti-abortion groups would have people believe in order to have people support their cause. But to the logical thinker and the wellinformed one can obviously tell the impacts of abortion to the fetus and mother aren’t nearly as great an impact as these prolife groups would have you think. First off, to consider a fetus to be on equal terms with that of a fully-developed or even
mostly-developed human being is ridiculous. It takes about two months for the embryo to be the size of a kidney bean, and even at that point, it has neither a heart nor a brain. An abortion at this stage of pregnancy would be no different than a woman’s body expelling an egg during her period or the millions of sperm that die trying to reach the egg. Secondly, the process of an abortion at this stage is harmless to both the woman and the embryo. The abortion is in the form of a pill, which basically forces a miscarriage. To the woman, it’s basically a strong period, which they would possibly prefer rather than nine months of carrying a child and then the grueling process that is childbirth. Its cost is still much cheaper for a woman that cannot support a child. It saves the woman money in the long run, which is one of the main reasons why a woman would choose to have an abortion.
Lastly, what about those cases where the woman was raped and got pregnant? What if you yourself were raped and got pregnant? There is no need to bring a child into the world under those circumstances, and you would be foolish to think otherwise. Our population is big enough as it is, and although pro-life advocates would argue condoms, birth control and even abstinence are enough, it doesn’t hurt to have a plan B in controlling the population. At the end of the day, ask yourself this: Does a woman in Texas having an abortion affect your life personally? What about a woman in Michigan? Or maybe somewhere in Alabama? It doesn’t, so just let it happen, and maybe you’ll live your life easier when you’ve stopped worrying about everyone else’s.
Hakeem Hasan is a senior majoring in electrical engineering.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
How the pro-life movement can make win-win situations out of abortion debates
I don’t particularly like the pro-life movement. First, let me be clear: This is not a discussion about whether a fertilized egg is a person. This is not about whether a woman’s privacy and bodily autonomy should be valued over the rights of her developing baby. This isn’t even about the most basic goal of the prolife movement – to reduce, or eliminate, abortion. My lack of warm and fuzzy feelings about the pro-life movement is not as much due to the principles it holds as to how it attempts to uphold those principles. To all pro-lifers reading this: I respect that you have your beliefs, whether religiously based or not, and respect that many of you spend a great deal of time and effort to end what you consider a moral
wrong. But honestly, what are you doing? Mostly, trying to get abortion made illegal or reducing it through cumbersome laws and statutes that limit access. And the problem is this: It isn’t going to work. I’ll let you in on a not-sosecret secret. Women will seek abortions regardless of their legality. Your putting up a bunch of red tape or flat-out banning the procedure isn’t going to stop what women were doing before Roe v. Wade. They may be going to seedy, back-alley practitioners instead of trained medical professionals, may ingest dangerous chemicals and may even attempt to perform abortions themselves. But women who seek an abortion will not be stopped based on a law. How can I respect a movement using highly controversial measures
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that may violate others’ rights when those measures are not effective to begin with? But the pro-life movement could do a lot to gain my respect and the respect of countless others. Instead of chasing the idea of making abortions illegal and kicking up a massive dust storm of needless controversy, choose to support other measures that will more successfully lower the number of abortions. Abortion is the result of unwanted pregnancy. Birth control lowers rates of unwanted pregnancy, therefore lowering demand for abortions. Further, a growing amount of scientific evidence is showing that birth control, such as the morning-after pill, prevents fertilization rather than egg implantation, and so it is not in fact an “abortifacient.” When
the pro-life movement supports widespread and affordable access to birth control, I will respect it more. Many women seek abortions for economic reasons. Many women receiving abortions fall near or under the poverty line. Many women already have children and very literally cannot afford another child. Even if they give the child up for adoption, the mother may not be able to pay for the expenses of pregnancy and the possible health risks that may further limit her ability to work. When the pro-life movement supports updating the archaic maternity-leave laws of the United States, better insurance for pregnant women and children, affordable daycare and programs aimed at helping the non-aborted children
who are often born into poor socioeconomic conditions, I will respect it more. When the movement stops using childish tactics that are often tasteless or flat-out inaccurate and offensive to provoke an emotional response, like comparing the highly divisive and personal issue of abortion with a universally accepted evil like the Holocaust, I will respect it more. When the pro-life movement stops condoning leaders making offensive statements about how those sluts just need to keep their knees closed, about how women seeking abortions are lazy and self-entitled whiners who just don’t want to change their lifestyle, I will respect it more. To all pro-lifers: I am not trying to change your personal or religious views on the
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morality of abortion. But I would like you to take a step back, take some time and truly consider if what you are doing is the best way to stop abortion from occurring. The pro-life movement does not need to be at odds with those who are pro-choice. Prochoice individuals do not want abortions to occur; they just want them to be an option. If you drastically reduce the number of women who seek that option instead of taking away the choice entirely, you will not only be more efficient but also end the infighting that has plagued women’s reproductive issues for decades. It would be as close to a win-win situation as an issue like this can get.
Michaela Thurston is a sophomore majoring in psychology.
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Thursday, April 11, 2013 | Page 5
UA robotics team finishes 4th at IEEE SoutheastCon By Ashanka Kumari Chief Copy Editor A team of eight UA electrical engineering seniors placed fourth out of 51 teams at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers SoutheastCon Hardware Competition last week. Kenneth Ricks, associate professor for electrical and computer engineering and faculty advisor for the team, said the competition was comprised of three preliminary rounds and a finals round. “The scores from each of the three preliminary rounds were totaled and the top eight schools advanced to the finals,” Ricks said. “UA had a total score of 1,700, which placed them in second place after the preliminary rounds. “In the finals, the teams were seeded and went head-to-head in an eight-team bracket. UA
finished fourth in the finals.” For this year, the team had to design a robot that was completely autonomous, which means that once the start button was pressed, there was no operator control, Ricks said. Sarah Betzig, a member of the team, said she and team members broke the robot down into subsystems – detection, navigation, chassis, power, motors, coding, gripper and unloading – and delegated each subsystem to two team members, a primary, or leader, and a secondary, or supporter. Betzig was the primary for the color detection subsystem and secondary for the navigation subsystem. Ricks said team members had mixed feelings about their placement. “The UA team members are both happy and disappointed at the same time in their fourthplace finish,” he said. “They did an outstanding job at the
competition and received many compliments on their robot design.” During the full day of competition, the UA team, known as “The A Team,” had to overcome several challenges. “Because the competition hosts provided their own courses, different from the course we had to practice on, we spent several hours at the conference, fine-tuning our robot to their courses,” Betzig said. “We brought equipment to the conference and set up a mini version of our Capstone lab, which we used to calibrate the robot on-site. “We had to work through a few unexpected circumstances, such as adjusting the voltage on one of our power rails. Bringing tools such as an oscilloscope, multimeter and wireless debugging module was very helpful for preparing the robot to run on the competition courses.”
Kaylan Champion, the primary on chassis, secondary on power and administrator for the team, said the A Team’s robot design received many positive comments. “We received numerous compliments on our robot throughout the competition, and people were so interested in our design that they wanted to take pictures or sit down and ask us questions about it,” Champion said. “Since everyone at the conference knew our robot and that we were from UA, it showed us that we did not have to finish first to make a statement at the completion.” This week, the Alabama team will be demonstrating their Submitted robot at the Adtran Corporation UA students took fourth place last week at the Institute of Electrical in Huntsville, Ala. and Electronics Engineers SoutheastCon Hardware Competition.
Hunger Talks to fund Secret Meals By Taylor Veazey Contributing Writer A group of Alabama students is working to solve the rising problem of child hunger in the state through an event called Hunger Talks next Monday, April 15, at the Baptist Campus Ministries building. Hunger Talks is a program in collaboration with Tide Talks, an organization that presents a series of diverse ideas and personal stories from Alabama students. All proceeds from ticket sales go to Secret Meals for Hungry Children, a statewide organization that provides weekend meals for children. Secret Meals for Hungry Children allows teachers to identify any student they may think is experiencing hunger. Secret Meals provides six meals for the teacher to slip into the child’s backpack so he or she has enough to eat over the weekend. “It’s not something they can sign up for. Teachers see that these kids are hungry, and they really need help,” Kristin Nelson, a group member for
IF YOU GO... • What: Hunger Talks • When: Monday, April 15, at 7 p.m. • Where: Baptist Campus Ministries building Hunger Talks, said. Nelson, a senior majoring in public relations, said Hunger Talks will feature a lunchroomstyle hunger simulation, providing a flashback to elementary or middle school days for those who attend. “You experience what it’s like to be a child in school with not enough to eat, while everyone around you has food,” Nelson said. “It puts you in their situation.” Reyna Murrell, a senior majoring in public relations, said working on the Hunger Talks project has changed her perspective on the hunger issue. “I didn’t know how bad it was. Twenty-two
percent of children are hungry in Alabama,” Murrell said. “Because of Secret Meals for Hungry Children, it becomes more of a public thing.” Murrell said that more than anything, she hopes Hunger Talks raises awareness about child hunger in the community. “Most people don’t know what it is, but once they know, they will want to give,” Murrell said. “Children depend on us in our community. We have the means to battle it out.” Hunger Talks will also feature testimonies and stories from a local guidance counselor and the director of Secret Meals for Hungry Children. The group is sending out an open letter to people and organizations all over the state to spread awareness about child hunger. “The children are crying out for help, for food and sustenance. It is our responsibility as Alabamians to make sure that their cries don’t fall on deaf ears,” the letter reads. To pre-order $5 tickets for Hunger Talks, email hungertalksua@gmail.com. Tickets are $10 at the door.
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AIME Day to feature local entrepreneurs By Tori Linville Contributing Writer UA Entrepreneurial Week activities begin Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the Hotel Capstone Ballroom, with different activities held throughout the week. Entrepreneurial Week will finish with an all-day event known as the University’s Alabama Innovation and Mentoring of Entrepreneurs Day from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday in Room 110 of the Alabama Institute of Manufacturing Excellence Facility. Greg Sheek, director of Alabama Launchpad programs, David Snyder of Urban Cookhouse and Sam Brewer and Nick Wright of Game Day Tents are all to be featured at the week’s beginning forum in the ballroom. AIME Day, the final day of the week, includes presentations made by faculty and students along with University representatives participating in the Alabama Launchpad business plan at The Edge in downtown Tuscaloosa. Judges will select winners from 16 competing entrepreneurial teams that will be given funding and help from the University, Lou Marino, director of the entrepreneurial program in the College of Business, said. “The teams will have these elevator pitches, and the concept behind the elevator pitch is that you imagine you’re stuck in an elevator, and you have 90 seconds to 2 minutes to pitch your idea to the executive in the elevator with you,� Marino said. “So the teams have 2 minutes to pitch their idea and the best 5 will be selected to go again, and winners will receive cash priz-
es and will hopefully be able to “My co-worker Bill Heuer talk to the judges about maybe and I have been working to even investing in their ideas.� build a plan to commercialThe Office for Technology ization for a Passive Noise Transfer, the office respon- Attenuation device, which sible for managing the we call Silent Flow. Dr. Ajay intellectual property and Agrawal, endowed chair of assets of the University, intro- mechanical engineering here duces University technologies at UA, developed the techthat have been created to stu- nology, and basically it’s a dents during Entrepreneurial ring of pressure and temperaWeek. Director of OTT, ture-resistant material placed Richard Swatloski explained at the source of combustion OTT’s presence within in a system and it reduces the the Entrepreneurial Week noise created by the combusactivities. tion process,� Moore said. “We try to use some of the “With my technical backUA technologies that faculty ground and my co-worker’s or staff have invented and try marketing background, we and put student teams around were able to research and some of those,� Swatloski said. design a business plan to bring “Then we let the students this great product to market.� try and come up with some In an attempt to make ideas to create business mod- Entrepreneurial Week a els, or try to contact people to campus-wide event, other move that technology from the activities are scheduled lab to the marketplace to ben- through the week as well. efit society.� Sue Parker, an assistant proOTT will have teams fessor emeritus with Human involved with the student- Environmental Sciences, is pitched competihosting a guest tion on Thursday speaker panel along with the of alumni who AIME teams. have become The Office of successful I think a lot of the students Technology entrepreneurs. around campus here have Transfer co-hosts “I think a lot some really cool ideas, some AIME Day with of the students neat products, services, and the AIME departaround campus so forth. ment, Swatloski here have some said. really cool — Richard Swatloski Stephanie ideas, some Morris, a sophoneat prodmore majoructs, services, ing in electrical and so forth,� engineering, is a Swatloski Venture Development Intern said. “Just being able to let with OTT and is looking for- them see other deals or projward to participating in the ects and other businesses week, especially AIME Day, helps them network so they when she will pitch her ideas. know who to talk to try and Morris and her partner will be further their ideas, so I think pitching to a panel of 10 judges it just increases the entreprethat include angel investors neurial spirit of most of the and patent lawyers. students.�
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Thursday, April 11, 2013 | Page 7
UA astrology club seeking Virgos, Aquarians Zodiac Society members indulge in curiosity about horoscope analysis; plan to meet again this month By Jordan Cissell Staff Reporter To hear club co-founder and president Dominique Butler tell it, the story of the Zodiac Society’s origin was written in the stars. “The idea came about in a very random way – my sister Alexis and I were at a health fair and we saw a man wearing a shirt that said ‘Leo Club,’” Dominique Butler, a sophomore majoring in marketing, said. “I’m a Leo, and I’ve always been very interested in astrology, so when she joked, ‘You should start a Leo Club,’ we turned the idea into starting an astrology club on campus.” Dominique Butler said the Zodiac Society is purposed with promoting and developing student members’ interest in astrology and other spiritual topics through exploration of practices like horoscope
analysis and palm reading. She stressed club members were “not studying any of this as doctrine of any sort,” but rather indulging curiosity. Alexis Butler, a junior majoring in telecommunication and film and German, said her own curiosity piqued in high school at her sister’s encouragement. “In junior high my sister would talk about astrology, but I never thought of it as something serious. Once I reached high school, her fascination with astrology became more indepth,” she said. “She bought a book that combined the astrological signs with birth dates. It’s awesome, and mine was dead-on. It’s somewhat funny and weird how astrology turns out to be true.” Although she tries not to categorize people, Alexis Butler said astrology has often helped her understand friends and peers based on their
astrological signs. “I feel that astrology has confirmed my thoughts on why I act the way I act, and the same reason for others. I don’t automatically put people in categories, but once I befriend someone and find out their sign, it’s easier for me to justify why they act the way they do,” Alexis Butler said. “It’s not like my friends wore T-shirts that had their sign on it that told me ‘hey we’d be great friends because I’m a …’ It just ended up being that way. Kind of cool.” It only took about two lunar cycles for the Butler sisters and their friends to transform the Zodiac Society from a humorous suggestion to a recognized student organization. “I made a joke about it to Dominique, not thinking at all that she would take me seriously. Then I realized she could start an astrology club on campus. By the time we left the
health fair and we went shopping she wouldn’t stop listing off all these ideas she had for it,” Alexis Butler said. “It was really annoying, but I knew she was just really excited about it.” Dominique Butler quickly converted her excitement into action. The Butler sisters then recruited the design assistance of now-vice president Hillary McDaniel and had fliers up around campus by Feb. 20. Dominique Butler’s academic advisor agreed to sponsor the club, and the fliers and wordof-mouth attracted enough people to qualify for The Source’s 10-member minimum by March 4. So far, the group has held two meetings. Dominique Butler said Zodiac Society plans to meet again in April and will operate a booth on Diagon Alley during Quidditch at the Capstone on April 21 from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Colby Moeller, a freshman majoring in finance and marketing, said he was born in February, but doesn’t know which zodiac sign corresponds to his birth date. “[Zodiac Society] sounds pretty interesting,” he said. “I don’t know much about that kind of stuff, but I think a lot of people would be into it, and it seems pretty interesting to me. But I didn’t even think that we would have any type of club here dedicated to that.” Both Butlers acknowledge one of the biggest challenges for the club moving into the immediate future will be generating awareness of the club’s existence among students with interest who believe no such organization exists, as well as people like Moeller without prior interest or knowledge in the subject. “I think there may have been a demand for an astrology club,
but people were just unaware that they would want to join a club that explores the subject. I talk about astrology with several of my friends, so I figured there must be enough people at this ginormous university who would gladly join,” Dominique Butler said. “I think that in a year from now, we’ll actually have enough members to have a few people from each zodiac sign. The more people there are, the more we will be able to see how reliable this stuff really is. At the moment we’re lacking Virgos and Aquarians, but we have every other sign.” Dominique Butler encouraged all interested Virgos and Aquarians, as well as any other students with curiosity and any level of prior experience with the subject, to attend the group’s April 18 meeting in The Source Annex at 7 p.m. or visit the Quidditch booth for more information on how to join.
University Programs wins award for events, activities By Taylor Veazey Contributing Writer University Programs, a student-run organization that plans and implements programs for students, was awarded the Southeast Programming Award of the Year at the Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities conference March 19-24. University Programs also won second place in the national graphic design competition and had two students give presentations to conference administrators about University Programs and The University of Alabama. Averie Armstead, a senior majoring in public relations,
said University Programs recently rebranded its office and image. “Considering that, it’s exciting that we are already getting national recognition from the people who do this on a regular basis,” Armstead said. Armstead said it was nice to see their hard work pay off after many late nights and early mornings of planning. She said they have 12 programmers that have to plan for more than 30,000 students, while trying to make sure every student is represented. “The sky is the limit. We are continuing to develop and have more student development than ever,” Armstead
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The sky is the limit. We are continuing to develop and have more student development than ever. We have seen the impact and are building relationships across campus. — Averie Armstead
said. “We have seen the impact and are building relationships across campus.” Madolyn Price, a graduate student in public administration, said University Program’s iPad cover won second place in the promotional giveaway items category. Price gave a presentation on marketing events and said they had opportunities to hear multiple speakers and
students from other campuses. “Being on a large campus, we have a lot of stipulations to think about when we plan,” Price said. “We have to compare and contrast a lot of ideas and how we can tailor them to our campus.” Price also said the students who attended met a lot of vendors and artists from all over the nation that want to come
to campus and even started the process of making that happen. “The conference really rejuvenated our office and gave us a lot of new ideas,” Price said. Natalee Briscoe, a junior majoring in public relations, said University Programs director Latoya Scott gave them an inspiring message before attending the conference. “She told us, ‘We get to go present ourselves and our work. It’s not about us as individuals; it’s about all of us as a team,’” Briscoe said. Briscoe said University Programs is a demanding but enjoyable job that helps molds you into who you want to be
professionally, while allowing you to be part of a team. “We are coworkers as well as students,” Briscoe said. “When we step into our office, we are professionals.” University Programs hosts a wide variety of events throughout each year, from movie series and international cultural experiences, to conversations about hot topics, like gun control. They recently hosted a lecture by CNN’s Don Lemon for Capstone Conversations. Along with events, University Programs also offers practicum experience for advertising and public relations students through the APR 381 course and helps teach RHM 385, an event planning course.
Page 8 | Thursday, April 11, 2013
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Students sound off about abortion displays The UA community voices concerns about effects on campus women, compliance with student code By Kyle Dennan Staff Reporter Bama Students for Life displayed graphic images on the Quad Tuesday, including pictures of aborted fetuses alongside lynching victims and victims of the Holocaust in an attempt to compare abortion to genocides in conjunction with the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform, a national anti-abortion group. The group was authorized by The University of Alabama to display these images, something Sarah Hughes, a senior majoring in political science, found extremely objectionable. “In the student code, there’s a rule that protests or demonstrations can’t be obscene; and to me, this is beyond obscene – the graphic images and the public shaming of women who may have
chosen to have an abortion,” she said. Hughes also worried about the impression prospective students were getting of the Capstone. “I’m disappointed that this is allowed to be on our campus,” she said. “Tour groups are walking by; I just think it looks really bad … It makes us look really militant.” According to the UA Student Handbook, “Posted materials must not be obscene, must not be libelous, and must not be directed to and likely to have the effect of inciting or producing imminent lawless action.” Lindsey Smith, a graduate student in political science, said she questioned the efficacy of this type of display. “These images are [designed to] to shock someone into being disgusted, but what does that do as far as
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Personally, I’m pro-life. If I got a woman pregnant, I would want her to keep the baby, but I don’t think the government should tell women what they can and cannot do. — Jason Atchison
progress for their goals or claims as an organization?” She also said she did not think the group was representing a pro-life stance. “This doesn’t represent, necessarily, a pro-life movement. This represents a shock-factor movement,” Smith said. “I think that if you’re pro-life, this is just going to rectify your pro-life stance, and if you’re prochoice, you’re just going to be disgusted by the images.” Matthew O’Brien, a sophomore majoring in philosophy and economics, said
the group’s reasoning was flawed. “For me, there’s an open question about the personhood of fetuses. Whereas in the Holocaust and in the racist Jim Crow South, it’s really not an open question whether Jews, homosexuals, the infirm, or (in the case of the Jim Crow South) [AfricanAmericans] are persons.” Jason Atchison, a junior majoring in criminal justice, said he also had doubts about the “personhood” of fetuses. “They aren’t people. They aren’t their own individu-
als yet. This is a fetus, not a person,” he said. “Personally, I’m pro-life. If I got a woman pregnant, I would want her to keep the baby, but I don’t think the government should tell women what they can and cannot do.” Wes Bentley, a freshman majoring in marine biology, said he was “very against abortion” and thought this display would help the prolife movement. “You don’t see this every day, especially with the pictures – they’re really gruesome. That’s what gets people to stop,” he said. “If people see these kinds of pictures, it’d make them think twice [about supporting abortion].” Bria Harper, a senior majoring in English and AfricanAmerican studies, was concerned about women on campus who have had abortions.
“[The display] traumatizes, and it puts blame on women who have abortions without taking into consideration the turmoil that they must have went through to come to that decision,” Harper said. “We can’t publicly crucify their decision. That’s something they have to live with.” Abigail Campbell, a junior majoring in psychology, said she was also worried about women who might be damaged by the display. “My concern is really for people who have had miscarriages recently, or abortions, and, looking at these images, I think it’s unnecessarily traumatizing,” she said. “Focusing on the negative doesn’t really sit well for me. There are better ways to draw attention to your cause, more mature ways really, than just shock value, and that’s what I’m seeing here.”
UA hosts Relay for Life to raise money for cancer By Morgan Reames Contributing Writer The University of Alabama will host Relay for Life at Sam Bailey Track and Field Stadium Friday. Relay for Life is a national overnight event sponsored by the American Cancer Society to raise money and awareness for cancer treatment and research. “Teams have been formed, and each team is supposed to have at least one member walking or running on the track at all times,” Leela Foley, a junior majoring in public relations and marketing director for the event, said. “The idea is that ‘cancer never sleeps,’ and so not only do teams raise money, but they are symbolically fighting back against cancer by not sleeping as well.” The relay will begin Friday at 6
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p.m. and end Saturday at 6 a.m. “To students I would say that Relay For Life is important to attend, because cancer is something that affects us all,” Foley said. “Unfortunately, almost everyone knows someone who has been affected by cancer.” Individual participants are not required to stay the entire 12 hours. Games, refreshments and activities will be provided. The event will include a survivors walk along with a luminaria ceremony after dark to remember all those affected by the disease, those who have been lost to cancer and those who continue to fight. Foley said watching her best friend go through the pain of losing her dad to cancer was one of the hardest things she has ever experienced and also encouraged her to become a part of Relay for Life.
“It may seem as if cancer only affects older people, but I have personally interviewed a UA student who was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in high school,” Foley said. “It’s easy to live on a college campus and forget about the harsh realities of our world, but they creep in.” Laura Lantrip, executive director of the event, said scientists believe that cancer can be cured in her lifetime. “With the support of organizations like Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society, I believe this goal is in sight,” Lantrip said. The first Relay for Life began in 1985 when a colorectal surgeon from Tacoma ran for 24 hours around a track for more than 83 miles to raise money for his local American Cancer Society office.
Dr. Gordy Klatt managed to raise $27,000 from his run, which eventually turned into a national relay that includes more than 5,200 events across the U.S. “As a campus, we’ve almost raised $45,000,” Lantrip said. “If that’s what the 578 registered participants can do alone, think about what the entire student body can accomplish.” This event has been in the works since early last fall, and the process wasn’t easy, Lantrip said. “We went through interest meetings and then the difficult task of assigning qualified individuals to appropriate committee positions,” Lantrip said. “Our next task was getting the word out and recruiting teams. The key to a successful event has definitely been communication. The school, com-
munity and local businesses have been so eager to help us. All we had to do was explain our cause and ask.” Lantrip said her interest in fighting cancer began when she lost her grandfather to pancreatic cancer in the 7th grade. “Cancer is confusing for someone at that age. You’re old enough to understand what cancer is but too young to understand how it could happen,” Lantrip said. “To this day, I still don’t think anyone can explain to me why it happens to those we love. What I do understand though is that we have the power to help end this horrible disease.” Students can sign up to participate or donate at relayforlife.org. “That’s why we do Relay for Life, so we can get closer to preventing people from losing the ones they love,” Foley said.
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Francko emphasizes need for collaboration By Chandler Wright Assistant News Editor Much like Walt Disney, who was known for walking around his amusement parks and talking to staff and patrons, David Francko also likes to take daily walks to stay abreast of everything going on at The University of Alabama. “I like to take a mid-morning walk and one in the afternoon just to clear my head,” Francko, the current dean of the graduate school and candidate for the next University provost, said. “So, I like to walk different parts of campus, and I have not intentionally used those walks to snoop on anybody, but on the course of walking through the business department or art and sciences, I pick up some things about what’s going on.” In a public interview Tuesday, Francko addressed questions from audience members, including selection
committee members, faculty student needs and suggestand students. He empha- ing ways to improve graduate sized the need student life,” for students Handy said. and faculty to “My very first We can come up with all the work together observation of plans that we want to. We towards a betDr. Francko is ter University. that even as a can envision all the things “ We can dean he has a that we’d like to come up with very open door all the plans policy – he is — David Francko that we want approachable, to. We can candid, honenvision all est and very the things that we’d like to,” sincere.” Francko said. “If student and Francko spoke about faculty together don’t move recruitment and scholarship forward and embrace those throughout his interview, ideas, we will not make any citing recent student popuprogress. [Students are] not lation growth and tuition our customers; they’re our increases. junior colleagues in the edu“We have to be able to cational enterprise.” recruit high quality stuJonathan Handy, a gradu- dents who can pay for their ate student in finance, said education or get national he has worked with the merit scholarships and that. dean as the president of the Then we have to be able to Graduate Student Assembly. fund those really good first “Probably the most com- generation college students mon is simply meeting with who don’t have the wherehim in his office petition- withal to pay that raised ing him about graduate tuition,” Francko said. “If
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you give me a buck, and you only give me one buck, I’m going to put it towards scholarships.” Handy confirmed Francko’s passion for the Capstone and its students. “Francko is someone who fits into the system and has clearly thrived within The University of Alabama, but I think he has enough gumption and moxy in him that he will bring a bit more balance back to the University and be the voice of some muchneeded change,” Handy said. “He clearly supports the advancement of academia and scholarship, and as provost I believe he would be able to continue to make UA a better university.” Although the University has seen rapid growth in recent years, Francko said there may be room to continue that. “I’m not sure what the carry capacity of the University is right now, and I’m not sure if we’ll ever all agree on
CW | Shannon Auvil
Provost Candidate David Francko announces ways he will improve campus in many ways at a public meeting Tuesday. whether or not we are wildly oscillating, but I can tell you that I hope we haven’t reached that capacity,” Francko said. “What I hope is that if you and I are having coffee three years from now, whatever our enrollment is,
we have a better product.” Francko said, if he is chosen as provost, he will be sure to continue those daily “Walks in the Park.” “I think the provost needs to remain open and available,” he said.
SGA hosts Unity Day to bring campuses together By Judah Smith Contributing Writer The University of Alabama Student G ove r n m e n t Association is hosting Unity Day on Friday to encourage UA students to forge a closer relationship with students at Stillman College. Unity Day allows students from both schools to come together to socialize and gain a better understanding of life at each school. Shalyn Smith, Stillman SGA president, said she hopes the event will offer students an opportunity to clear up misconceptions they may have about the other school.
“We have Stillman, a historically black college and UA, a historically white institution, but we want to show the community that we’re not necessarily segregated, you know. We all love each other and we’re united,” Smith said. Smith said Unity Day is an annual event that has been hosted for about five years, sometimes including Shelton State Community College as well. The event will take place Friday on Greek Row at Stillman College. Buses will be available to transfer UA students from the Ferguson Center at 3:45 p.m. UA students can also receive two
Panhellenic points for attending. The 4 p.m. event will include free food, a performance from the AfroAmerican gospel choir and games like ultimate Frisbee and manhunt. “Manhunt is essentially a giant game of hide and seek,” she said. “Ultimately it’s one of the most fun things you can do when you’re not five years old.” Jimmy Taylor, current president of the SGA and former vice president of external affairs, has worked closely to coordinate the event with University programs. Like Smith, he said he sees the
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Manhunt is essentially a giant game of hide and seek. Ultimately it’s one of the most fun things you can do when you’re not five years old. — Shalyn Smith
event as an opportunity for students to unite across college campuses. “I think it’s going to be a great opportunity for Stillman and UA to have a stronger relationship,” Taylor said. “We’re all a part of the city of Tuscaloosa and want the same things, so I think we can accomplish a lot more by working together.” Madolyn Price, a
graduate assistant for University Programs who has worked on the marketing side of the event, said she expects Unity Day to have a positive impact on UA students. “It strives for better relations between college campuses,” Price said. “It will give UA students an opportunity to experience interacting with other schools in Tuscaloosa, which
they might not get to do that often.” Smith said though this will be her first year coordinating Unity Day, she has been to previous events that turned out quite successful. “There should definitely be a big crowd,” Smith said. “We will certainly have a lot of food for one. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.” Smith said SGA members from the University and Stillman will also meet Friday morning for a community service project with Habitat for Humanity. Unity Day is open to all students. Registration is free at uaferguson.tix.com.
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he last paved road ended 30 miles ago. A birdsong, water trickling and the wisp of a line being cast are the only sounds the fly fishing club can hear this deep in the woods. Adam Hudson, a senior majoring in biology and secretary of the UA Fly Fishing Club, said his mind is at rest while fly fishing. “No other aspect of your life really matters,” Hudson said. “You’re thinking about making a good cast and trying to fool a fish whose brain is the size of your thumb.”
Page 11 Editor | Lauren Ferguson culture@cw.ua.edu Thursday, April 11, 2013
Fly fishing gets philanthropic By Angeleah Coker | Contributing Writer
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The University of Alabama Fly Fishing Club takes trips like this as often as it can, not only to get away from the stress of school and work, but to maintain friendships. Matthew Allen, club president and a senior majoring in geology, said the club knew it wanted to base its philanthropy project on getting kids fishing and outdoors. The Fly Fishing Club sponsor, Trout Unlimited, linked the club with a Texasbased, nonprofit organization called Fishing’s Future, whose mission is to reconnect kids to nature, strengthen family
relationships, increase participation in recreational angling and to teach and increase awareness on environmental issues. The Fly Fishing Club is in the process of becoming an official chapter of Fishing’s Future and will be the first in Alabama. Currently fundraising to reach $1,300, the club is meeting with sponsors this week and hopes to file the paperwork by April 12. The first event will be hosted before the end of spring semester or during the summer because kids will be out of school.
Fishing’s Future will supply the club with the equipment needed to host the event. Because fly fishing takes a lot of coordination, traditional rods and reels will be available for smaller children. Hudson said it’s not so easy for beginning adults either. The club holds casting workshops for university students who are interested in learning how to fly fish as well. New members are welcome with or without previous experience, he said. “It’s a good idea, in college, to have a group of friends with similar interests,” Hudson said.
The club has focused on recruiting new members since it was established last year, Allen said. Those interested in joining the University of Alabama Fly Fishing Club are encouraged to email the club president at mlallen1@crimson.ua.edu or join the Facebook group UA Fly Fishing Club. Prospective members are also welcome to attend a meeting held every second Sunday each month in Gorgas Library Room 206. Members new and old recently travelled to Clearwater, Fla., over spring break for the club’s
first fly-fishing tournament. Allen said the club prefers simple fishing trips with fellow members rather than competitions. Hudson and Allen agree fly fishing is not a competitive sport, or even necessarily a sport at all, but a passion and a hobby. It’s about focusing on the season, the time of day and what a fish eats according to these things – something they call “reading the water.” Allen said even when he’s not catching a fish, he can watch his cast fly through the air all day. “I think it’s not really a sport as much as it is an art,” he said.
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Film festival to feature student-made films Black Warrior Film Festival will also facilitate master classes, workshops in Reese Phifer on Saturday By Ryan Phillips Contributing Writer The Black Warrior Film Festival will be held Saturday in Reese Phifer. The daylong event, held in conjunction with the department of telecommunication and film, The Student Producer’s Association, Crimson Cinema Productions and Creative Campus, will feature films by UA students along with master classes, panels and activities aimed at promoting local art through student film. The festival will feature three blocks of films, bringing local directors into the spotlight. Danny Ryan, programming and marketing leader for the festival, believes this will highlight the talent that can be found around the Capstone. “The films that will be shown are exceptional student films,” Ryan said. “Many have won various awards and have been getting national attention. Some of the films, such as ‘Corner Man’ and ‘Land of Oz,’ have brought this attention to regional
IF YOU GO... • What: Black Warrior Film Festival • When: Saturday, April 13 • Where: Reese Phifer
perspectives that are relevant to Tuscaloosa.” Ryan said the reverberations of this film festival and others like it affect local culture in a way that brings people together while pushing artistic innovation to the forefront. “Films made by these students are reflections of the local culture.” Ryan said. “Their work being shown at the BWFF represents our school, as well as our community. Film festivals are important to the local culture because it allows the community to gather and celebrate the work that other members of this community have done.
It helps people to appreciate the local culture and be proud to be a part of it.” Katie Stewart, who has collaborated on some of the featured projects, said she wants the community to participate and keep a passion for independent film alive in Tuscaloosa. “Art is everywhere and it makes up our culture,” Stewart said. “It is important to have events that can showcase the local talent. There are talented locals everywhere that go unnoticed and film festivals give everyone a chance to shine.” One key aspect Stewart pointed out is the difficulty that independent filmmakers face trying to raise the funds to bring their visions to the silver screen. “It is difficult as a student to get all of the funds and resources you need to make high-quality films,” Stewart said. “It is worth noting that all of these student directors, producers and crewmembers have made it happen.” The film industry has a reputation for being a job field that is difficult to break into,
Taylor recalled a statement Mark Nelson, UA vice president for student affairs and vice provost, made about Calderone at this year’s SGA awards CALDERONE FROM PAGE 1 banquet. “Matt is a born servant,” “Dr. Nelson said that when Taylor said. “If he is elected he met Matt he thought he he can make sure our voice was a 45-year-old man,” Taylor is heard within the city of said. “Matt has the experience Tuscaloosa.” and the maturity to handle the
situation.” Councilman Lee Garrison announced this week he will not run for re-election this year in District 4 and will run for chairman of the Tuscaloosa Board of Education in August. Garrison was elected to the City Council while he was a student at The University of Alabama in 1997.
Real Estate attempted to gauge the immediate impact the storm had on the real estate market in Tuscaloosa. “The purpose of the report was to present the short-term impact and to provide a preliminary analysis of the disaster upon Tuscaloosa’s residential real estate market,” Grayson Glaze, executive director for the center, said. “The primary focus of the report was housing units as defined by the US Census Bureau, but to a greater degree, the existing singlefamily home.” The study found that, while the tornado certainly had a large impact on the realty market and impacted approximately 5,144 homes or 12.6 percent of Tuscaloosa’s housing inventory, the city’s housing market “proved very resilient and truly persevered.” Glaze said the study’s findings were also used by local and state officials when applying for relief funds and have been used to help plan the rebuilding effort. “Community leaders and the private sector often refer to our studies as they strategically plan for Tuscaloosa’s future and regrowth in the aftermath of the tornado,” Glaze said. UA students and student groups have also been active in fields concerning storm research since April 27, 2011. One student group, the UA Meteorological Society, was actually formed just weeks before the tragic storm hit. “To say that we were ‘baptized by the fire’ is a bit of an understatement,” Chris Amalfitano, vice-president of public relations and a founding member of UAMS, said. “Having served the community on April 27 and in the days and weeks following the storm, we realized that we had a calling that required us to expand our horizons,” Amalfitano said. In the almost two years since those storms, UAMS has worked to develop an interest and an awareness of weather in the UA community and in West Alabama in general. “Our goal is always to keep students and members of the West Alabama community informed of weather conditions for our area, and to provide them with concise information that could save their lives,” Patrick Reilly, president of UAMS, said. “We have been approached numerous times this spring to conduct severe weather safety and preparedness programs in various
dorms on campus.” The group also has a storm tracking team that helps spot and alert storms as part of the regions early-warning systems. “Storm Spotter training has been the foundation of our education in tracking and forecasting storm systems,” Reilly said. “We also have relationships with storm chasers and meteorologists throughout the Southeast who provide diverse contributions to our philosophies. A lot of ‘at-home’ studying and preparation goes into our forecasts and response to storm systems.” One common goal amongst all of these students and faculty is the hope that never again will a tornado have the same outcome as the April 27, 2011 tornado. Graettinger stressed the importance of having a place to go that can withstand even the highest level tornado winds, noting the difference between a “safe spot” and a “safe room.” “A safe spot, for example an interior room or a basement or bathroom where there’s some plumbing and some additional structure around, if that’s the best place that you have to go, certainly go there, but that will not withstand these high wind speeds, EF4, EF5, even EF3. You’re going to be in great danger, so a safe room, which is engineered to handle these 3, 4, and 5 levels, is definitely needed,” Graettinger said. “These may be community safe rooms, like at an apartment complex; there may be one safe shelter that everyone can go to, or you can have one in your home.” Both Graettinger and UAMS said the University has done a great job of advancing their extreme weather policies. However, it is ultimately up to each person to know what to do when a tornado hits. “The University’s advancements in regards to severe weather preparation and response are important, but the true test of severe weather safety relies on the individual,” Amalfitano said. “The University can put all the precautions in place they possibly can, but it is up to each student to continue to be weather aware and have their own plan in place.” Graettinger said students should know where they are going to go should a storm happen. “And storms will happen, it’s just a fact of life,” Graettinger said. “So you need to have a plan.”
Calderone previously interned at City Hall
Researchers stress need for safe rooms TORNADO FROM PAGE 1
“The wind speeds on tornadoes are so high that when you see and EF5, EF4, or even an EF3 tornado, you cannot engineer for that to keep a woodframe structure together,” Graettinger said. “But what we found in our study is that the vast majority of the affected area experiences much lower wind speeds than those EF3s and above, most of it is EF2 and below.” Although the Tuscaloosa tornado was classified as an EF4, the study found around 85 percent of the area affected by the tornado in Tuscaloosa experienced EF2 level winds and below. “Unless you looked at it spatially, which our team did, you would not be able to tell that there was an opportunity to be able to engineer for the problem,” Graettinger said. “So if you think about that, if we would engineer for EF2 level winds, and we’re going to engineer our wood-frame structures to handle those levels of wind, we would have a much lower level of damage than we saw, and that’s the direction that the research is going towards.” Graettinger stressed, however, the importance of having safe rooms and shelters to go to because the path and center of the storm could not be predicted. He also said the study’s findings have not been added to building codes or standards yet. “Currently, there is no tornado building code in the whole United States, so this is something that perhaps, starting from the studies we did here, we may see in the future,” Graettinger said. Although this particular study has ended, Graettinger said the civil engineering department is still studying the effects of natural disasters. “The idea of engineering for natural hazards is certainly still going on,” he said. “We have our large-scale laboratory here where we can do earthquake testing, we’re talking about developing a debrislaunching cannon to test different building materials, walls, structures.” While Graettinger and his colleagues studied ways to engineer buildings to prevent widespread destruction in the future, the Alabama Center for
but organized events like the BWFF seek to give students the opportunity to highlight their potential. “All of these films are great films that look professional,” Stewart said. ”Many people are not aware that students are learning the skills they will need to make it in the film industry after college. So much energy, sleepless nights and extensive planning have gone into these films just so students can have something to prove that they have what it takes to survive after college in the industry.” In addition to independent films by UA students, the film
festival will also feature activities and speakers geared toward stimulating the creativity of local artists. “Along with the films being shown are master classes and workshops,” Ryan said. “These will feature editor Angelo Corrao, post-production company Tube Creative, cinematographer Keith Tippit, the makers of the Marble Hornets and a panel on film festivals. After the last film block will be an awards ceremony highlighting the best films and filmmakers of the festival.” Katie Howard, media correspondent and festival programmer for Creative
Campus, said she thinks festival-goers can benefit greatly from the other activities offered. “While I think the student film screenings are exciting, I think festival attendees should take advantage of the master classes, workshops and panel discussion being offered at the festival,” Howard said. “You will not only learn cool things, but festival-goers will also have a chance to network with these professionals.” For more information on the Black Warrior Film Festival, please visit creativecampus.ua.edu.
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By Alexandra Ellsworth Staff Reporter “Number two, number two,” cried a waiter in a crowded barbecue restaurant on 12th South Avenue in Nashville, Tenn. Adam Naylor, a recent UA graduate, talked loudly over the oldies rock music playing in the background and the conversations of people sitting at tables around him. He shared his experience of pursuing music in a city where thousands of others like him come to do the same thing. “So far my favorite thing about living in Nashville has been establishing roots in a new place,” he said. “I have really enjoyed meeting new friends and being at work and thinking about how everyone that I know now I didn’t know a year ago.” In May 2012, Naylor left Tuscaloosa and joined the approximately 40,000 people who move to Nashville each year to pursue the music dream. Nashville is ranked as “the nation’s best music scene,” according to Rolling Stone magazine. With more than 180 recording studios and 5,000 working musicians, it is no surprise that the city has earned the nickname “Music City.” Naylor said the music
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atmosphere was one of his favorite things about embarking on a new chapter of life in Nashville. “You have so many artists, producers and publishers here, and so the [music] scene is here,” he said. “Getting into it is a challenge, but at the same time you are amongst others who are doing it so there is this mutual striving for it. I think it is been fun to see what I am up against and still be able to go for it. Just to have the opportunity to be finished with school and be in a position where I am able to do this and focus on this – that alone has been very exciting.” After graduating from The University of Alabama in 2011 and working for a year in Tuscaloosa on staff with a campus ministry called The Navigators, Naylor decided to take the plunge and move with his three friends and bandmates to Nashville. Almost immediately, he fell in love with the city, and one of his favorite memories was from over the summer in Centennial Park. Naylor remembered hundreds of people filling the park on a summer Saturday night. A small orchestra played big band music as people danced around the park under the moonlight. Naylor was one of
them and in that moment, he knew Nashville would be a place he could call home. “That was a cool memory because it showed me that Nashville is a cool city in that there are a lot of young adults my age, and I think it was just a fun atmosphere,” he said. Although music was something Naylor knew he wanted to pursue, he said moving was not an easy choice. “It was probably 2012 when I was talking to a number of different people that really just told me this is a good move,” he said. “It’s a risk but it’s not foolish. I think once I got on board with that, I think that is when I wanted to really give it a go, because I wanted to do it, but I didn’t want to make a foolish move.” Now his band has parted ways and Naylor is pursuing music on his own, but with the community of other musicians he said, he does not really feel alone. “As everyone says, most people in town have some affiliation with music,” he said. “A lot of the guys I work with are musicians too, and so it’s kind of hard to get away from it. And something I have noticed is there is camaraderie between musicians. It’s not cutthroat.” Shaylee Simeone, a friend of
Naylor, said Nashville’s atmosphere is something special. Simeone has lived in the city for a year and half after graduating college and is recording an album and pursuing professional songwriting. “I absolutely love it,” she said. “Music is definitely everywhere. For example, I’m playing music in a fro-yo shop tonight. Who does that? Nashville. Nothing brings me more joy than to sit down with someone, talk about life, and try and put it to a tune. I am blessed upon blessed. “That’s the best thing about this city too. There are so many people doing it. It’s like a giant small town. People want to see their fellow man succeed, so it’s all about connections and writing sessions and generosity and a willingness to listen. There are some truly special people living in this town.” Naylor said he also enjoys collaborating with other musicians. “People tend to get together and have shows together instead of trying to step on each others shoulders to get somewhere,” he said. “I have really enjoyed that. It’s been cool especially finding out where you fit and where you contribute. Once a group of individuals figure that out, you can bring something to the
audience that is better because everyone is bringing their specialty.” Simeone said it was other musicians who helped her get to where she is today. “There will always be those competitive people in every town,” she said. “But mostly there is a spirit of camaraderie. People want to support each other, because we’re all in it together. I got to where I am by someone reaching out to me, so why wouldn’t I do that for others? Also, like in every area of life, you get places when you’re nice to people.” However, pursuing the music dream does not necessarily pay much so most artists work additional jobs to pay their rent. “Sometimes it is tough to be here,” Naylor said. “Not because anything extreme is happening to turn me away, but because it feels like nothing is happening. It’s like I am here, I’m working and some weeks I don’t have much time at all to spend on music.” Naylor works at the Marriott Hotel at Vanderbilt shuttling guests and doing valet parking. He also helps with The Navigators at Belmont in conjunction with the Vanderbilt Navigators. He said it is sometimes difficult to balance his job that provides for his liveli-
hood and what he really wants to be doing – music. “Some days, it’s just working my job and then I’ll feel discouraged because I didn’t move here to work the job I am working,” he said. “I moved here for music. So that is probably the biggest challenge; but at the same time, that kind of goes away just from encouragement from others or feeling like I am coming into my own. So it’s challenging but it’s not disheartening.” The temptation to give up is in the back of many struggling musicians’ heads. “The hardest thing is that yes, every day you are tempted to give up,” Simeone said. “There are so many people doing what you do, and doing it better, even. But I think the trick to that is setting your own standard of success. My standard is that I would love to make a living, large or small, off making music. I want to play and write for the rest of my life and I will be wonderfully satisfied.” Developing who she is as an artist has helped Simeone deal with the stress that comes with trying to make a living with music. “I’m not out to be the next T-Swift, and with that comes a gentle security in who I am and what I do,” she said.
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Podcast starts conversation about local arts By Courtney Stinson Staff Reporter UA graduate Bob Baker and senior Tyler Marshall began their podcast, Trivial Pursuits, as a way to have fun with their friends, but as the podcast has evolved into what Baker describes as “a more legitimate broadcast,” it has become a way to give a voice to artists and interesting people in the community and to share their stories. The hour-long weekly podcast, hosted by Marshall and Baker, consists of two portions, an interview segment in the first half hour and a series of made-up games in the second. Baker said their format is similar to the game show format of NPR’s “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!” So far, Trivial Pursuits guests have primarily been artists in the community. Guests have included Well That’s Cool owner Bo Hicks and UA cre-
ative writing instructor Brian Oliu, among others. On the show, guests talk about everything from how they became successful as artists and their work to what kind of week they are having. Marshall and Baker maintain a relaxed, conversational style rather than an interview format. “Usually it just comes up that they’re just being themselves basically, being bright, intelligent, beautiful people here in Tuscaloosa, and their stories, as far as my knowledge goes from the guests we’ve had, have kind of been untold,” Baker said. “Through our show we’ve been given the privilege of telling their story so that people in town can hear it.” Doing the show as a podcast has allowed Baker and Marshall to produce the show using minimal resources and help from friends. They also like the accessibility of doing Trivial Pursuits as a podcast. All their content can be down-
loaded for free, and listeners can listen at their own convenience rather than having to tune in at a certain time. Putting on a podcast has also allowed Marshall and Baker the freedom to make the show they want to make without having to deal with financial restrictions or having to go through other organizations. “[A podcast] gives us the opportunity to do what we want and not be restricted by not having any money,” Baker said. Trivial Pursuits is partnered with Well That’s Cool, a Tuscaloosa-based website and podcast focused on cultural happenings in town. They are currently looking for others interested in creating podcasts to give them the resources to do so. “It’s a series of questions: what’s my show going to be about, how often are we going to record, who’s going to be on. Once you figure all that stuff
Fellowship aids UA art major By Margaret Wilbourne Contributing Writer The infamous image of the “starving artist,” surrendering all cares to pursue and finance their art, is a persona to which most artists can relate. But every other year for a group of graduating art majors, a chance to have their artistic dreams freely funded presents itself through the Windgate Fellowship. “We all know how hard it can be as a college student trying to pay for school, books and supplies – and art supplies are not cheap,” Kristen Tcherneshoff, a senior majoring in photography and painting, said. “So this was a great opportunity to put into fruition an idea that might not have been possible before.” Tcherneshoff is one of 10 students selected by faculty members of the art and art history departments at the University to receive the fellowship, which funds pieces for a special Windgate exhibit, held in the Sarah Moody Gallery. The honorees were picked to be the representatives of the Windgate Fellowship program and the art departments based off a submitted resume, portfolio, written proposal and a proposed budget. “I think by showing our work in this exhibit we are representing the student body of our department as a whole – what
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we have gained in our years in Woods and Garland Hall and how we are able to turn that knowledge into creative ideas,” Tchernseshoff said. The artists were given only two guidelines for their work – a $1,500 budget and a deadline. While the deadline gave the artists around six months to complete their exhibit works, fellow recipient Elizabeth Alexander, a senior majoring in studio art, said every minute was needed to become showready. “I actually literally have spent an average of 16 hours a day in Woods Hall every single day until the wee hours of the morning since October,” Alexander said. “We even spent Christmas break in the studio.” Alexander’s work will join Tcherneshoff’s in the Windgate exhibit, which opens Thursday. “My first installation is made of deconstructed tea bags that I dyed in red wine, and then fused together with heat and beeswax to create large sheets that I hung from the ceiling. I counted how many bottles of wine went into making this – 27. I also used 1,400 large tea bags.” “I also have two 5 x 3 foot figure paintings that are painted with red wine and tea, then a 4 foot by 4 foot painting made of rabbit skin glue and tea leaves.” Alexander said there was no particular inspiration for her
pieces. “I couldn’t actually give you a specific moment of inspiration,” she said. “It kind of just came out of me. This work is mostly about the viewer interacting with the piece and being able to have a moment with it.” Tcherneshoff ’s said her pieces reflect her love to be outdoors. “I always feel the most comfortable when I am outside, on my own, just thinking, or not thinking,” Tcherneshoff said. “So I guess my life experiences would be the inspiration behind this. In the exhibition, I have an installation with tree rounds that have been screen printed on the ends, accompanied by screen prints of the same images that are on the rounds.” Both Tchernshoff and Alexander agree that being chosen as a Windgate Fellow has been an invaluable experience. “We were given an amazing opportunity to take this money and use it to buy materials and tools for ourselves we wouldn’t have been able to buy normally. It’s also valuable to go through the entire process of proposing and making to installing something in a gallery setting,” Alexander said. The exhibit will run through May 24. The Moody Gallery is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Thursdays, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
out you’re good to go as long as you’re not afraid to talk into a microphone,” Marshall said. Marshall and Baker have plans to add a video element to Trivial Pursuits with a video series of live local bands at Druid City Brewing Company. Through working with friends, artists and the people at Well That’s Cool, Trivial Pursuits
has resulted in something of a creative network for Marshall and Baker, which they hope they can use to help give others the resources to do similar projects. “I would hope we get anybody who’s wanting to do something along the lines of what we’re doing to come to us for help because we will have the network. If they want to do a
podcast we could do that or videos or whatever is happening, because if we can do it so can they,” Marshall said. “I think people are starting to know us as the podcast guys and that’s okay.” For more information about Trivial Pursuits, visit trivial-pursuits.com.
Tuscaloosa Community Dancers show ‘Coppelia’ By Megan Miller Staff Reporter Six months worth of long hours of rehearsal, costume fittings, critiques and technique classes will finally culminate for the Tuscaloosa Community Dancers April 12-14 when they put on their spring production, “Coppelia.” “Coppelia is a light-hearted and fun comedy that appeals to all audiences,” Amy Cole Ahmed, interim artistic director for TCD, said. “It’s not a heavy show, and it’s very entertaining and would be a great show to introduce children to ballet.” Betty Quarles, executive director of TCD, said it was for this reason “Coppelia” was selected as TCD’s spring performance. “It’s a family friendly piece and comedy,” Quarles said. “We tried to stay true to the story line, and it’s a very entertaining ballet, and it’s fun to do. I think a 90-year-old would enjoy it, as well as a 6-year-old.” Quarles said that “Coppelia” has been performed by local dance schools for their recital, but TCD’s standard for their show is a little higher than that of a recital performance. “The purpose of a recital is to showcase what students have learned, but because this is a paid performance and we consider this to be a pre-professional company, the standard is a little higher,” Quarles said. TCD is comprised of 19 company members, and the production of “Coppelia” will include all 19 of these dancers, in addition to four guest artists, and about 30 total members in the production, including children in the Tuscaloosa community as young as 7 years old and dancers from the University. Jennifer Quarles, a former member of TCD and current Druid Arts Home Grown artist, will be playing Swanilda.
IF YOU GO... • What: Tuscaloosa Community Dancers presents ‘Coppelia’ • When: 7 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday • Where: Bama Theatre “Tuscaloosa Community Dancers has been a part of my life for 22 years, and I am so excited to continue to dance with them,” Jennifer Quarles said. “I think it’s so important to bring the dance community together and show how talented these dancers are in Tuscaloosa. I’m so proud to be from Tuscaloosa and hope to continue the tradition of TCD for a long time.” Performing alongside Jennifer Quarles will be Kyle Seguin, who will be dancing the role of Franz. The two have been longtime partners, having formerly danced at the Alabama Ballet together. “This is a double reunion, because I get to dance in my hometown with TCD and my best friend and past-partner at the Alabama Ballet,” Jennifer Quarles said. Betty Quarles said the duo makes for quite a pair. “Jennifer loves us because she started here and gives us a whole lot more than she would give some other random company she’s guesting for,” Betty Quarles said. “Jennifer and Kyle have not performed together in three seasons, so it’s
a homecoming for them. They’re Tuscaloosa’s favorite couple on stage.” In addition to the two local guest artists, the cast will be joined by Patrick Wilson dancing the Mazurka Lead and Didier Bramaz dancing the role of Dr. Coppelius. Jennifer Quarles and Bramaz met through dance; he volunteered to be part of the production when he heard about Quarles coming home to dance with her former company. “He’s an excellent dancer,” Betty Quarles said. “We never dreamed we could have someone of his stature do this, and we feel extremely fortunate and happy.” Quarles said she feels it’s important for TCD to continue to bring in high-caliber guest artists because of the positive impact it has on the younger dancers. “We have had wonderful guest artists who were highly skilled with their craft and interacted with the children,” Quarles said. “It’s a learning process for our children to share the stage with professionals.” Quarles said that this not only gives the children an up-close and personal look as to what goes behind the scenes but also elevates the level of the performance. “Coppelia” will be performed at the Bama Theatre April 12-14. Friday, the show will begin at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 for students and children, $21 for adults and $17 for seniors 60+ and can be purchased at the box office between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. or can be purchased at the door.
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Thursday, April 11, 2013 | Page 15
BASEBALL
Baseball team sweeps series, looks toward Oxford By Bryan Bergman Contributing Writer The No. 22 Crimson Tide baseball team recorded its third straight victory Wednesday evening, defeating the Alcorn State Braves 7-3. Freshman walk-on Mike Oczypok, making his first career start, picked up the win as he pitched five no-hit innings before giving way to the bullpen, which combined for the Tide’s first complete game two-hitter since March 2004. Head coach Mitch Gaspard said he was
impressed with his team’s performance “Oczypok was outstanding for five innings, the bullpen came in and did a really good job. Offensively we did what we needed to do to get and extend the lead,” Gaspard said. The game was scoreless with two outs in the bottom of the fourth until Kyle Overstreet knocked a line drive into center field, scoring Kenny Roberts and giving Alabama a 1-0 lead. The RBI was Overstreet’s 24th, the most on the team. The Tide
struck again in the fifth, when right fielder Ben Moore hit a triple, scores two runs. Alabama put the game out of reach with a three-run sixth inning and extended its lead to seven in the seventh when Riley Colburn drew a bases-loaded walk. “We had a little more offensive production than we had yesterday. Their pitchers did a good job keeping us off-balance,” Moore said. “We didn’t have our best at-bats, but we found a way to get it done.” The Braves managed
to get on the board in the eighth when Alvin Jackson hit a solo home run off Mitch Greer, breaking up Alabama’s no-hitter. Alcorn State chalked up two more runs with a home run from Angel Rosa, cutting the Tide’s lead to four. By then it was too late for the Braves, and the Tide completed the two-game sweep. Up next for the Tide is a three-game weekend series against the Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford, Miss. The Rebels currently hold at sixth place in the SEC Western Division, and
come into the series on a six game losing streak. Gaspard said they are still a dangerous opponent. “They’ve got tremendous starters, they’ve got a good bullpen, I know as of late they’ve struggled a little bit, but we’ve had our battles with Ole Miss and we know they’re going to be prepared,” Gaspard said. “But I like where our team’s at. I think if we can play consistent baseball for three days we have a good chance for success. In their 2011 trip to Oxford the Tide took two out of three
games. However, when the Rebels came to Tuscaloosa last season, the Tide only managed to win one of three in that series. Catcher Brett Booth went to Oxford with the team in 2011, and he said the series is an important one. “Any road series in the SEC is big, especially going into an environment like Ole Miss,” Booth said. “We need to get in there and get off to an early start.” The series kicks off Friday night at Ole Miss, and continues Saturday and Sunday.
FOOTBALL
Linebacker DePriest to miss rest of spring practice due to fractured foot By Kevin Connell Staff Reporter
DePriest worked on the stationary bike in Wednesday’s practice alongside injured wide receiver Kevin Norwood Inside linebacker Trey DePriest is and cornerback John Fulton, who have out for the remainder of the spring yet to participate in spring practice due with a fractured foot, head coach Nick to toe injuries. Saban said Wednesday. “Trey DePriest had a stress fracture Player position changes in his foot,” Saban said. “He might have After practicing at defensive back hurt it a little worse in the scrimmage for much of the spring, sophomore Dee [on Saturday].” Hart is back playing primarily at runThe injury was first reported by ning back. ESPN.com’s Chris Low Wednesday “We kind of put him back on offense afternoon. for a while, and I think we’re going DePriest, Alabama’s signal caller on to take a look at him there and as a defense last year, started 13 of 14 games returner right now,” Saban said. and was second on the team in tackles However, Saban said Hart may still last with 59. see playing time on defense in the Saban said DePriest had a choice future, if needed. on playing with the injury through “Dee Hart knows enough about playthe spring, but opted to have surgery ing Star that if we needed him to play it instead. next year, we could develop him and he “Rather than try to get him to con- could do it,” Saban said. tinue to go through the spring, which Sophomore Cyrus Jones, who has was a possibility, he just decided to also practiced with the defensive backs go ahead and fix it before it got bad,” this spring after playing as a wide Saban said. “It’s a stress fracture, receiver last season, is transitioning so it will take less time to heal, and into becoming a full-time defensive he’ll have a better chance at a good player. recovery.” “The first couple weeks out there we
did, it felt weird because he used to be out there next to me running routes with me,” wide receiver Kenny Bell said. “But he took ownership of the position he’s in and learned it and has come out there and competed every day.” Sophomore Christion Jones, the third offensive player from last season to practice with the defensive backs this spring, continues to split time on defense and as a wide receiver. All three players “hit the wall a little bit mentally” coming back from spring break, but have done a nice job overall in picking up on the finer points at defensive back, Saban said.
Love out indefinitely with concussion Nose guard Wilson Love was not at practice Wednesday because of a concussion sustained in Monday’s practice. “Until his concussion scores get where they need to be, he’ll probably be out,” Saban said. The injury is a minor setback for Love, who is competing for the starting CW | Austin Bigoney job at nose guard with Brandon Ivory DePriest will undergo surgery for fractured foot for better chance of recovery. and Darren Lake this spring.
Page 16 | Thursday, April 11, 2013
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TRACK AND FIELD
Crimson Tide prepares for Spec Towns Invitational By Nick Sellers Contributing Writer The University of Alabama track and field team will visit Athens, Ga., this weekend to compete in the Spec Towns Invitational. The Georgia Bulldogs, Alabama’s Southeastern Conference opponent, will host the event. The Tide posted seven individual victories last weekend at the Crimson Tide Invitational, with freshman Elias Hakansson setting a new
school record in the hammer throw at 211-3. Overall, the men finished second in the team standings, while the women snagged a fourth-place finish. Head coach Dan Waters said he likes the progress his team made, especially considering the impressive performances amid the tough competition they’ve recently come up against. “Ideally we want to improve on everything, and there are some specific areas we’d like to focus on,� Waters said. “But
we’re very happy with where we are at this point.� Senior Alexis Paine, who recently broke the school record for the pole vault, posted another victory in the event last weekend. Freshman Robbie Farnham-Rose added to his collegiate accolades by finishing first in the men’s 1,500 meter. Junior Yanique Malcolm compiled an impressive time in the women’s 800, winning the race, and sophomore Diondre Batson also won his respective
event, the men’s 200. Batson also helped the men’s 4x100 relay garner a first-place finish. In addition to the Georgia Bulldogs (who have the No. 25 men’s team and No. 18 women’s team), Alabama will also be facing SEC foe South Carolina. Rounding out the field are University of Texas-San Antonio, Boston University, Oglethorpe College, Kennesaw State and the Minnesota women, who the Crimson Tide faced last Saturday.
With the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championships just under a month away, Waters and his staff are working to keep the team focused yet motivated. “We talk a lot about seizing opportunities to them,� Waters said. “Every meet is building up. As long as they’re gearing up for what’s ahead, we’re definitely going in the right direction.� Waters also mentioned specific events he would like to see the team perform well in this
weekend in Athens. “The distance runners are getting better, which is always very encouraging,� he said. “It’s always good when we have an opportunity to race. Our jumps are improving as well.� Next weekend the Crimson Tide will travel to Baton Rouge, La., as the Louisiana State Tigers host the LSU Alumni Gold competition. The following weekend features a three-day event for the team, followed by the conference outdoor championships.
COLUMN
Key to Alabama’s success not difďŹ cult to ďŹ gure out; leave past behind, look forward By Zac Al-Khateeb It happens every year, or at least at Alabama. The Tide has come off yet another successful campaign under the guidance of head coach Nick Saban, and everyone’s pondering how the Tide will outdo itself in the coming season. It certainly has been hard to miss this year, with Alabama coming off back-to-back national titles and the chance of a three-peat looming on the horizon. Fans and media alike have made it one of the biggest stories of college football this
spring. Try visiting any college football site that doesn’t have something about Alabama’s ridiculous track record on it. Those people are relishing the past. College football analyst Phil Steele has already projected Alabama as the No. 1 team heading into the season. Fans and media are already talking about the Tide’s season opener against Virginia Tech. Those same people are discussing AJ McCarron’s Heisman chances and drawing comparisons from the Alabama-Texas A&M game to previous games of
the year. Those people are worried about the future. The same question is on everyone’s mind: can Alabama really do it? Can it win three in a row, and four in five years, marking them as one of the single greatest teams to ever play the game? The people asking those questions are dealing with uncertainty. That’s all fine and good. It provides media with something to talk about and provides a nearly endless source of entertainment for Alabama
fans, college football fans and sports fans in general. Granted, there is one person who’s not interested in the past, the future or the Tide’s chances at history. After all, he’s got other things to worry about, such as preparing his team to be the best they can be. When everyone else is lauding Saban for his record of
Tide to head west for ASU Invitational By Caroline Gazzara Staff Reporter The Alabama women’s golf team will travel to Tempe, Ariz., this weekend to compete in the PING/Arizona State University Invitational. This will be the last tournament in which the Crimson Tide will compete before the SEC championships. The PING/ASU Invitational marks the fifth tournament of the spring season for the Tide. Coach Mic Potter said he was looking forward to this tournament because it will be a competitive tournament against many west coast schools. “It’s always a competitive event,� Potter said. “[ASU] has a really good golf course. They are sort of the mainstays of college golf for women’s tournaments, so we are looking forward to going out there and playing against a competitive field.� Over the past weeks, Alabama has been racking up lengthy practice time on the course. Potter said the longer, tougher practices have been paying off during tournaments. “We’re trying to get more into the competitive mode and out of the technical mode,� Potter said.
“We’ve won three out of four of the tournaments so far. The fact that we have challenged ourselves more during our practices has greatly affected our successes.� Junior Hannah Collier said she is excited to play west coast schools in order to get a feel for what other teams offer. “[Playing out of conference] helps us become a better team by seeing what is out there besides what is in our conference,� Collier said. “We play a lot of out-of-conference teams in other tournaments, but it’s good to see where we stand and see what we need to work on after every tournament.� Both Potter and Collier said they have been looking forward
to this invitational all spring since it is in a temperate location. Potter hopes the outcome of the invitation will be positive since he knows the team hates being in the cold and rain. “Our expectations are always the same,� Potter said. “They never relate to other teams, only to us and our performances relative to what we have been practicing and what our standards are. It is that time of year when the SEC championships, regionals, and nationals are coming up, so our level of play needs to get closer to that standard.� Alabama will compete in the PING/ASU Invitational this weekend before preparing for the SEC championships next weekend.
If you’re curious, that’s what makes the Tide so ridiculously successful year in and year out. Sure, Alabama has had some luck in the past few years and pretty much can grab any player from around the nation it wants. But more than anything, the reason for Alabama’s success is Saban and his work ethic.
SPORTS IN BRIEF
Moussa Gueye to transfer for ďŹ nal season after graduation CW Staff
WOMEN’S GOLF
success, he’s lamenting the lack of mental focus on his team. While everyone is speculating on the future of the program, Saban is hammering the details of technique and discipline into his players. While everyone is still basking in the glow of the Alabama program, Saban has already left it far behind.
Alabama junior center Moussa Gueye will transfer for his final season of basketball, UA head coach Anthony Grant announced on Tuesday. Gueye earned his undergraduate degree in human environmental science in December and will walk with his graduating class this May. Under NCAA guidelines, he will be eligible to play next season as a graduate transfer student.
“We’re proud of Moussa for completing his degree in two years and for his efforts and contributions to our basketball program,� Grant said. “Moussa has decided to pursue other options for his final year of eligibility and will seek to transfer to another institution. We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.� “I really enjoyed my time at Alabama,� Gueye said. “People have been very supportive during my two years here. Since I have my degree,
I just decided I wanted to leave and try and continue to get better. I love my coaches and teammates – they helped me get better. I have nothing but great memories here and I am grateful for my decision to come to The University of Alabama.� Gueye played in all 36 contests this past season for the Crimson Tide, making 27 starts. He led the team with 52 blocked shots and averaged 1.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 15.4 minutes per game.
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$.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.
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 LOFTS TUSCALOOSA AND NORTHPORT 2 bedroom, 1 bath. $1150-$900-$750. Roofdeck 205 657 3900-205 752 9020 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 BRAND NEW LUXURY APTS 1 & 2 Bedrooms. Downtown across from Innisfree Pub. ~5 blocks from campus. Visit www.tiderentals.com for more information. (205)752-1277 HOME FOR RENT AT 216 CEDAR Crest! Half mile from campus. 3 large bedrooms, 2 baths. Nice remodeled brick house. $1350 per month with one year lease required. Leasing now for summer/fall. Contact owner @ 770-509-2616 WILLOW WYCK 2 BEDROOM, 1.5 bath, perfect for roommates, ¿ve minutes from campus. Move-in special. Pre-leasing available. 205-391-9690 LEASING FOR FALL 16 BEVerly Heights off University Blvd. & only minutes from campus. 3 bdrms, 2 bths. 2 yrs. old. $1500. 205-792-1793. Available August 1st. BEAUTIFUL HOMES ON CAMPUS available for fall 2013. Walk to class, strip, and stadium. Deposit and one year lease required. Please call (205)758-7920 FULLY-FURNISHED APARTMENT (BR includes bed, dresser, desk, chair) Private bathroom connected to bedroom with walk-in closet Two
HOUSING female roommates occupy the remaining two bedrooms GREAT location on campus! Please email: aladd@crimson. ua.edu “STOP PAYING RENT! NEWLY REmodeled 3 Bedroom, 1.5 Bath home for sale, 3 miles from Campus, MLS ID# 91059 Call Michael Jacobson (855) 342-5630. “SUBLETING 1 BR/1 BATH OF NEW 3 bedroom apartment, available May 1- July 31!
$ 6 3 7 / m o n t h
JOBS EARN $1000-$3200 A month to drive our brand new cars with ads. www.FreeCarPay.com STUDENTS NEEDED for the Crimson Tide Hospitality Team. Hiring responsible UA students to assist in Skybox/Club operations at all home football games. Email HospitalityOf¿ce@ia.ua.edu for an application and more info. SEEKING RESIDENT MANAGER and maintenance person for apartments near VA hospital. Free rent. Must have references. 205-535-4573 OPTICAL ENGINEER WANTED FOR project/business partnership. Contact Matthew @ 310-280-6083.
ANNOUNCEMENTS Get out of jail fast! Payment plans available. Freedom Bail Bonds 205-764-4025 WE NEED DEPARTMENT SPONSORship for the dating project to get on campus. Call (205)477-4683 TIDE MINI STORAGE 7529081 OR 750-8102. Half mile South of campus. Fenced and lighted. Monitored security. Units available.
DEADLINES: Classified line ad deadline is the previous business day by 4:00 p.m.
HOROSCOPES Today’s Birthday (04/11/13). A new ease in communications advances your projects faster. Grow your health and happiness. Review your financial plan, especially regarding insurance and investments, to discover a windfall. Adapt gracefully to changes. Find your way home to family and friends. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is a 9 -- Focus on making money. However, don’t deviate from your personal rules. What goes around really comes around. Celebrate your good fortune. Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is a 9 -- Expect something out of the ordinary. Transformation is power right now. Use what you’ve learned, and don’t be afraid to try something new. Create a new possibility from nothing. Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Set aside extra time for surprises and contemplation. Help a family member with a personal task. Financial awareness is a priority, as it provides power. It’s getting inspiring. Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Today is a 9 -- Things get easier. Reassess your own position. Set up a meeting. Check public opinion as you enter a social phase. There could be a challenge or test. See yourself winning. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is a 9 -- Enforce the rules, even as there’s a change in plans. Establish them, if the game is new. Water figures in this scenario. Pieces come together. Consider career advancement. Learn voraciously. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is a 9 -- You’re entering an intense two-day
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expansion phase. It’s good for travel, too. Stay somewhat practical. Saving is better than spending now. Turn down an invitation. Thoughtful introspection gets the job done. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is a 9 -- These days are good for financial planning. Tell friends you’ll see them later. Manage numbers now, and focus on your work. Set priorities. Identify ideas with greatest potential. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is a 9 -- Peacemaking comes naturally. Discover romance today and tomorrow. Savor artistry and beauty. The path ahead seems obvious. Entice others along by pointing it out to them. Offer concrete results rather than platitudes. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is a 9 -- Avoid distractions, and get to work. Take on a job you’ve been putting off, and complete it for freedom and accomplishment. Spend a little on yourself. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is an 8 -- Love blossoms. Hold out for what you want; don’t waste your money on poor substitutions. You’re looking good, and you’re up against tough competition. Accept a challenge. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is an 8 -- Household issues demand attention. Keep on top of the supply chain. There’s some fierce competition. You’ve got the mental acuity to solve the problem, if you can find what you need. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is a 9 -- Get into practical study. Embark on an adventure, and call if you’ll be late for dinner. Keep clear communication. Don’t bend the rules; gravity has no sympathy.
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A-Day April 20th, 2013
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With the focus of having an ever-growing online presence, students can use blogging platforms for personal and professional expression. Whether it’s sharing your thoughts on this spring’s fashion trends or weighing in on current events, commentary blogs offer an easy, accessible medium for anyone to share their opinions. This week, the Scene explored three of the most popular blog sites.
Blogger: Launched in 1999, Blogger is one of the early personal blogging platforms and has been credited for helping popularize blog formats. Most of the blogs are hosted by a subdomain of Google called blogspot.com. The website allows users to generate content and customize design and Google Docs-based aesthetics.
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By Lauren Ferguson and Katherine Owen
CULTURE
Page 18 . Thursday, April 11, 2013 Lauren Ferguson Culture Editor Katherine Owen Assistant Culture Editor
WordPress: With over 60 million uses, WordPress allows users to craft a website or blog. Originally started in 2003, this web-based platform is one of the largest self-blogging tools in the world. Users can create accounts for free and customize to their liking. While it was first created solely for blogging, it has evolved over the years to function as a full content management system and allows for personal or professional use.
Tumblr: This platform allows bloggers to work as writers, sharers and curators. Users can post original content, such as an opinion on the day’s events or their outfit of the day. But, bloggers can also follow threads, whether that’s fashion, nonprofits or cat pictures, and reblog favorites to a personal tumblr. Bloggers can follow their favorite tumblrs, then repost content to their own tumblr. With over 102 million blogs, and 44.6 billion posts, the content possibilities are endless.