08.30.12 The Crimson White by The Crimson White

GAMEDAY Pick up Gameday magazine on the racks tomorrow.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Serving the University of Alabama since 1894

Vol. 119, Issue 16

SPORTS | PRACTICE NOTEBOOK

Sunseri: Kelly Johnson earned his starting spot Depth chart reveals senior as H-back By Zac Al-Khateeb Staff Reporter Amid all the hype of the upcoming Alabama-Michigan game Saturday, one storyline has been popping up since UA Athletics Alabama released its two-deep Kelly Johnson depth chart Tuesday: senior walk-on Kelly Johnson being ahead of sophomore Harrison named the starter at H-back Jones and redshirt freshman

NEWS | MARY’S CAKES

Following an official apology from the University for sending a cease-anddesist order, Mary’s Cakes and Pastries has received verbal permission to continue using Alabama related images on their baked goods. Mary Cesar, the owner of Mary’s Cakes and Pastries in downtown Northport, said the shop is ready to continue making their hand-made sweets in time for their busiest season of the year. “With football upon us, I was worried that our customers would stop coming if we couldn’t put the Script ‘A’ or ‘Roll Tide!’ on our cookies,” Cesar said. “Luckily we received our

annual basis. More than anything, Johnson attributed his success and chance at this opportunity to his workman-like attitude, something he brought to practice with him every day. “It’s extremely difficult,” Johnson said. “I think the biggest thing is showing up every day, carrying the water and being persistent and working hard every day.”

SEE JOHNSON PAGE 10

Students chase hurricane 12

license just in time for the first football weekend of the year.” The University of Alabama uses a thirdparty licensing agency called Collegiate Licensing Company for all trademark licenses. Last Tuesday the CLC sent Mary’s Cakes and Pastries an order to cease and desist the production of any baked goods bearing images trademarked by the University. The letter was signed by the Associate General Counsel of the CLC, James D. Aronowitz. “On behalf of The University of Alabama, CLC demands that you and every person or company affiliated with you immediately discontinue the sale, offering for sale and/or distribution of any unauthorized products containing the University’s marks,” Aronowitz said.

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SEE MARY’S PAGE 3

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team and his work ethic on the field was what separated him from Jones and Calloway. “Kelly’s been in the program a long time,” Saban said. “So he’s much more veteran than any of those other guys. He’s a tough guy, a good blocker, and he’s done a really nice job at H.” Despite the work he put in, Johnson said he was still a little shocked at earning the starting position at H-back, especially at a place like Alabama, which brings in blue-chip talent on an

F Qurenc ar h ter

By Colby Leopard Contributing Writer

playing time as a junior on special teams before making the move to H-back in the spring. Despite the move, Johnson said he had no idea he’d make it to the top of the depth chart heading into the preseason. “Coming into preseason, I was just ready to get the pads back on,” Johnson said. “Get done with 110s and conditioning test and get back to football. I wasn’t expecting much.” Head coach Nick Saban said Johnson’s time on the football

NEWS | HURRICANE ISAAC

UA apologizes to Mary’s for ceaseand-desist order Local bakery able to use Alabama logos

Brent Calloway. Johnson, a native of Charlotte, N.C., said he never expected to start at Alabama, let alone at any school at the college level. Johnson, who played quarterback and safety at Providence Day High School in North Carolina, said he didn’t receive much attention out of high school. He came to Alabama as a walk-on, listed on the roster as a linebacker and back-up snapper. He earned his first

Four members of The University of Alabama Meteorological Society traveled from Tuscaloosa to the Gulf Coast Tuesday afternoon to chase Hurricane Isaac. UAMS is a group of weather enthusiasts that serves West Alabama and surrounding areas with up-todate weather information, said Chris Amalfitano, vice president of UAMS

and junior majoring in public relations. Brantley French, a senior majoring in history and storm chasing director of UAMS, left Tuscaloosa around 10 a.m. Tuesday and headed to New Orleans to begin shooting video of the storm. French was joined Tuesday night by the rest of his UAMS team in Waveland, Miss. “On South Beach Boulevard in Waveland, Miss., the water was up to

our knees,” French said. “There was no beach left and no road left.” The team live-streamed Isaac from Waveland Tuesday night until they encountered an emergency situation where all of their vehicles were stuck due to flooding in the area. “We were lucky we got out before the tide came in and got us,” French said. “We could have lost our lives or possibly all of our equipment.” SEE ISAAC PAGE 2

CW | Sarah Grace Moorehead

NEWS | COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Students head home for Alabama-Michigan matchup in Arlington Dallas natives ready for season opener By Sarah Elizabeth Tooker Contributing Writer The University of Alabama will open its football season in Arlington, Texas, against Michigan at the Dallas Cowboys stadium and while it may seem like an odd location to some students, it’s home sweet home to others. Dari Mahoubi, a freshman from Dallas majoring in er • Plea s

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general business, will head back home with friends for the opening game. “I think the student body at UA will be impressed with the town and the new stadium, which is a spectacle that can only be witnessed in person,” Mahoubi said. “I can’t wait to show all my new friends a good time.” In the last school year, the state of Texas had the third largest out-of-state influence at the University with a total of 1,129 students, following closely behind Georgia and

INSIDE today’s paper

Florida with 2,227 and 1,213 students, respectively. Cathy Andreen, UA spokeswoman, said the University started recruiting students from Dallas in 2004. In 2010, 136 of the 267 incoming freshmen from Texas were from the Dallas area. In 2011, that trend continued with 326 Texas natives joining the freshman class and 170 of those coming from Dallas specifically. While students have always traveled well for away football games, this game day

means a lot more to the growing number of Dallas, Texas, natives. For many Dallas students, it’s about living up to the phrase “Everything’s Bigger in Texas” by showing off the Cowboy’s new stadium. Nick Wackel, a junior from the Dallas area majoring in aerospace engineering, agreed the Dallas Cowboys stadium is an experience, whether students plan to attend the game or not.

Briefs ........................2

Sports .......................8

Opinions ...................4

Puzzles......................9

Culture ...................... 6

Classifieds ................ 9

SEE DALLAS PAGE 2

CW | Bryce Denton

Students from Texas will return home for the Alabama season opener.

WEATHER today

Chance of T-storms

79º/73º

Friday 86º/75º Chance of T-storms

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GO ON THE

ONLINE

ON THE CALENDAR TODAY

FRIDAY

What: ABXY Game Night Where: Ferguson Center TV

VISIT US ONLINE AT CW.UA.EDU

Lounge

When: 7 - 10 p.m.

What: Ridgecrest Football

Where: Gilley’s (1135 South

West and East

When: 8 - 10 p.m.

Charity Fashion Show

What: Sweetwater’s Save the

Where: Ferguson Center

Black Warrior River Championship Celebration

Ballroom

When: 7 - 8:30 p.m.

Where: Egan’s Bar

What: Homegrown Alabama

Page 2• Thursday, August 30, 2012

What: Tide in Texas- National Alumni Association Pre-Game Party Lamar in Dallas, Texas)

What: House of eprouver

SATURDAY Viewing Party

Where: Ridgecrest South, When: 7 - 11 p.m. What: Dart Tournament and free pizza from Hungry Howie’s

Where: Egan’s Bar When: 5:30 p.m.

When: 5 - 9 p.m.

Farmer’s Market

Where: Canterbury Episcopal Chapel

When: 3 - 6 p.m.

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

What: Crimson Conversations- First Broadcast of the CW Radio Show Where: 90.7 the Capstone When: 1 - 3 p.m.

Submit your events to calendar@cw.ua.edu

EDITORIAL

ON THE MENU

Will Tucker editor-in-chief editor@cw.ua.edu Ashley Chaffin managing editor Stephen Dethrage production editor

BURKE

LAKESIDE LUNCH Turkey Meatloaf Beef Taco Salad Meat Lovers Pizza Fresh Broccoli Florets Fresh Steamed Carrots with a Brown Sugar Glaze Tofu Broth Bowl (Vegetarian)

LUNCH

DINNER

LUNCH

FRESH FOOD LUNCH

Homestyle Spaghetti and Meatballs Grilled Vegetable Quesadilla Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo Spinach, Feta and Ham Pizza Tortellini Grilled Zucchini Squash

Fried Chicken Turkey, Roasted Red Pepper & Portobello Burger Taco Stromboli Fresh Seasoned Collard Greens Grilled Vegetable Panini (Vegetarian)

Wednesday afternoon that two rescue helicopters were on their way to Plaquemines Parish and other hard-hit areas, something weather conditions hadn’t allowed earlier. “They know what they can safely execute, mission-wise,” she said of the helicopter pilots. “Hopefully, we’ll have someone on the ground.” The Federal Emergency Management Agency dispatched four Black Hawk helicopters from Fort Campbell, Ky., and two Seahawk helicopters from Norfolk, Va., to assist with the rescue effort. More than 600,000 Entergy customers in the region were without power Wednesday afternoon, most of them in

Louisiana, and flooding and downed trees complicated efforts to restore service. The storm closed major roads and bridges, halted trains and barges, and shut down ports. Jindal, who canceled his appearance this week at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., advised Louisiana residents to hunker down, with the storm expected to linger. Isaac was moving northwest at 6 mph late Wednesday and was forecast to move farther into Louisiana and southern Arkansas on Thursday and Friday. “There is much more coming, not just in Baton Rouge but other parts of our state as well,” Jindal said.

Coleman Richards Special Projects Manager osmspecialprojects@gmail.com

Dallas students head home for away game

Natalie Selman 348-8042 Creative Services Manager

DALLAS FROM PAGE 1

the amount of students willing to commit to the 10-hour drive. “Our school travels well, so the city is about to see a different type of fan base,” Nieworth said. “It’s very different than what Texas schools in the Big 12 have, as far as traditions go.” While all three Dallas natives agreed it would be fun traveling back to their hometown with friends from school, Wackel summarized the whole experience quite simply. “It’s just another step to 15,” he said.

Mackenzie Brown visuals editor Tray Smith online editor Melissa Brown news editor newsdesk@cw.ua.edu Lauren Ferguson culture editor Marquavius Burnett sports editor SoRelle Wyckoff opinion editor Ashanka Kumari chief copy editor Shannon Auvil photo editor Whitney Hendrix lead graphic designer Alex Clark community manager Daniel Roth magazine editor

ADVERTISING Will DeShazo 348-8995 Advertising Manager cwadmanager@gmail.com Tori Hall Territory Manager 348-2598 Classified Manager 348-7355

Robert Clark 348-8742 Emily Diab 348-8054 Chloe Ledet 348-6153 Keenan Madden 348-2670 John Wolfman 348-6875 Will Whitlock 348-8735 Amy Metzler osmspecialprojects2@gmail.com

The Crimson White is the community newspaper of The University of Alabama. The Crimson White is an editorially free newspaper produced by students. The University of Alabama cannot influence editorial decisions and editorial opinions are those of the editorial board and do not represent the official opinions of the University. Advertising offices of The Crimson White are on the first floor, Student Publications Building, 923 University Blvd. The advertising mailing address is P.O. Box 2389, Tuscaloosa, AL 35403-2389. The Crimson White (USPS 138020) is published four times weekly when classes are in session during Fall and Spring Semester except for the Monday after Spring Break and the Monday after Thanksgiving, and once a week when school is in session for the summer. Marked calendar provided. The Crimson White is provided for free up to three issues. Any other papers are $1.00. The subscription rate for The Crimson White is $125 per year. Checks should be made payable to The University of Alabama and sent to: The Crimson White Subscription Department, P.O. Box 2389, Tuscaloosa, AL 35403-2389. The Crimson White is entered as periodical postage at Tuscaloosa, AL 35401. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Crimson White, P.O. Box 2389, Tuscaloosa, AL 35403-2389. All material contained herein, except advertising or where indicated otherwise, is Copyright © 2012 by The Crimson White and protected under the “Work Made for Hire” and “Periodical Publication” categories of the U.S. copyright laws. Material herein may not be reprinted without the expressed, written permission of The Crimson White.

Baked Chicken Chicken Fajita Pizza Asiago Macaroni & Cheese Cheddar Mashed Potatoes with Chives Sesame & Edamame Asian Noodles (Vegetarian)

Steak Grilled Chicken Salad Tuna Salad Sandwich Baked Yukon Potatoes Sautéed Cabbage Barley, Portobello & Butternut Squash Pilaf (Vegetarian)

BRYANT

ON THE RADAR

Isaac pounds Gulf Coast on Katrina Anniversary From MCT Campus GULFPORT, Miss. -- Although the National Weather Service downgraded Isaac late Wednesday afternoon, the slow-moving tropical storm continued to menace the Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama coasts with high winds, heavy rains and flooding as it drifted slowly northwest. Isaac had made landfall earlier in the day as a Category 1 hurricane, exactly seven years after Hurricane Katrina struck the region, and even after its downgrade it was expected to pound the coastline well into Thursday with 70-mph winds, storm surges of as much as 12 feet and localized rainfall of as much as 25 inches. “Now is not the time to let

your guard down,” New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said in a news conference. Stronger levees in New Orleans, built after Katrina, appeared to be holding. “Right now, we’re in good shape,” said Ricky Boyett, a spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District, which manages the levee system. “The system is doing exactly as it is designed to do right now.” The Mississippi coast appeared to have escaped much of the storm’s wrath, with minimal damage and no reported injuries. But officials said a full damage assessment wouldn’t be possible until more of the storm clears. In a haunting reminder of Katrina’s aftermath, Louisiana National Guard troops rescued

dozens of people from their flooded homes in Plaquemines Parish, a swampy area that sticks out like a finger in the Gulf of Mexico southeast of New Orleans. More than 1,800 people along the Gulf Coast died during and after Katrina, and the disaster displaced tens of thousands more residents, many of whom never returned. “For those of us who live here, this brings back very painful memories,” Landrieu said. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said in a news conference Wednesday in Baton Rouge that the storm surge had topped a levee in the parish, and that officials were considering whether to breach the levee intentionally to relieve the pressure. Coast Guard spokeswoman Elizabeth Bordelon said late

“I plan on tailgating outside the stadium and watching the game on that big-boy TV; I’m sure Jerry Jones has the stadium and everything looking pretty for the Alabama fans,” Wackel said, referencing the 26,000 square foot television in the stadium. Another student from Dallas, Morgan Nieworth, a junior pre-dental major, said Texans wouldn’t be expecting

UAMS students chase hurricane ISAAC FROM PAGE 1 The team turned in around 1 a.m. and woke up around 6 a.m. on Wednesday to head back toward New Orleans. French said the team was able to get right down on Canal Street in the French Quarter to check out the flooding. “In certain areas the power was out,” French said, “and we were recording wind gusts of up to 75 miles per hour. The wind would turn over large metal objects right in front of us.” The team then traveled east to chase after a tornado threat but was forced to return because of severe flooding. They were unable to get within two miles of the coast. Patrick Reilly, a senior majoring in criminal justice and founder and president of UAMS, said one of the most notable lessons he has learned in this chase is to be better prepared with gasoline.

“We have had a lot of trouble finding open gas stations,” Reilly said. They have run across several highways that were completely inundated with water, he said. They need to be familiar with the area they are storm chasing so that when they face situations like this they can react better and know where to go next. UAMS started storm chasing in the spring of 2011 with the April 27, 2011 tornado in Tuscaloosa. Their footage of the Tuscaloosa tornado has been sold and used by the Discovery Channel. However, the Isaac storm chase has been much different from their previous tornado chases over the past year, he said. “Hurricanes are non-stop going at 85 miles per hour all the time,” French said, “It has kept us on our toes.” UAMS can be found on Twitter @UA_Weather and on their website www.uamswx. com. They are also hosting a live feed of Hurricane Isaac at www.uamswx.com/live-chasefeed.html

NEWS OPINION CULTURE SPORTS

NEWS

Page 3 Editor | Melissa Brown newsdesk@cw.ua.edu Thursday, August 30, 2012

Students may be at higher risk for West Nile Virus By Adam Mills Contributing Writer University of Alabama students may run a higher risk of exposure to West Nile Virus than others due to increased time outdoors in times of heightened mosquito activity, said a university assistant professor. Lea Yerby, an assistant professor in the Department of Community and Rural Medicine and the Institute for Rural Health Research in the College of Community Health Sciences, did extensive research on the virus and said students’ lifestyles might make them more exposed to mosquitoes. “We get football and hunting

seasons started around this time and exercise programs like our Crimson Couch to 5K program starts and we are outside with the hungry mosquitoes,” Yerby said. “WNV is endemic to the South, meaning it’s here all the time and most likely here to stay. Technically, we are all at risk every summer and fall just by living in Alabama.” According to an Aug. 21 statement by the Alabama Department of Public Health, one of more than eight people diagnosed with WNV in the state was in Tuscaloosa County. The statement included one death of an individual in Montgomery County. The current outbreak is on track to be the largest in

history, said the CDC. The preventative measures as critiorganization reports an esti- cal in combating the virus. mated 1,118 cases “confirmed “The only thing you can do is or probable” prevent getting nationwide, bitten,” said with 41 deaths. Tracey Elmore, “We have had environmental perfect breedarea director of This virus has only been in ing grounds the Tuscaloosa the U.S. since 1999, so we for mosquitoes, Department of are still learning about other with a mild Public Health. reasons why it so prevalent winter, an extra “There’s no this year. hot summer, vaccine for it, and some areas no treatment — Lea Yerby with a lot of for it, actually. rain and floodIt’s like the flu.” ing,” Yerby Elmore and said. “This Yerby agreed virus has only been in the U.S. that basic precautions, like since 1999, so we are still learn- insect repellent, are important ing about other reasons why it preventative techniques. so prevalent this year.” “The best thing you can All sources pointed to do is wear bug repellent that

“

works – so something including DEET (such as Off!, Cutter or Repel) or Picaridin,” Yerby said. “While these are proven safe, some people are nervous to use them or want a more natural option. In that case, go for one of the products that works by using oil of lemon eucalyptus, sometimes called PMD.” The two said students should also stay inside during dawn and dusk or wear sleeves and pants if possible. “It’s not glamorous, but it’s true,” Yerby said. Elmore said students should avoid or empty any standing water around residences and outfit windows and doors with screens. She also said light clothes tend to draw fewer

mosquitoes than dark. Despite heightened risk of exposure, the ADPH reported that only around 20 percent of infected persons will show the flu-like symptoms associated with mild cases of WNV. “Less than 1 percent will develop a serious neurological illness such as encephalitis or meningitis – inflammation of the brain or surrounding tissues,” according to the ADPH. “About 10 percent of people who develop a neurological infection due to WNV will die. People over 50 years of age and those with certain medical conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease and organ transplants, are at a greater risk for serious illness.”

UA nursing professor on National Hispanic Nursing Board By Kris Mitchell Contributing Writer UA nursing professor Norma Cuellar, one of just 250 doctorally-prepared Hispanic nurses in the country, can now add the title of boardmember of the National Hispanic Nursing Board to her resume. “The president [of the National Hispanic Nursing Board] contacted me and asked me to serve on the board,” Cuellar said. “He knew of my work. I’ve previously received two awards from them for service and education.” Cuellar believed that most

Mary’s Cakes can use UA trademarks MARY’S FROM PAGE 1 In addition to ordering Mary’s Cakes and Pastries to stop production of their Alabamathemed sweets, Aronowitz’s letter demanded that the shop supply the CLC with a list of all items the shop has made or sold bearing UA trademarks. According to Aronowitz’s letter, this information would also include the total number of goods both sold and in inventory, the price of each item and profits earned from the sale of items bearing UA images.

Hispanics, as well as many minorities, were not encouraged to pursue higher education. “It’s a feeder system,” Cuellar said. “You have to advance.” Nursing students have to begin as undergraduates and complete graduate school to earn a doctorate in the science of nursing. Cuellar received her undergraduate degree in nursing from University of Southern Mississippi, her masters degree in nursing from Louisiana State University, and her doctorate from The University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Cuellar said many nursing students stop advancing their education after earning an associates degree. “A lot of time they become registered nurses, and they don’t want to go back to school,” Cuellar said. “Education wasn’t a priority so much as getting a good job.” Cuellar also said there is a certain stereotype that nurses are only the doctor’s assistant, and there might not be a strong need for doctorally-prepared nurses, which is hardly the case. “It’s like a PhD in nursing,” Cuellar said. “We actually do

our own research. We are not physicians’ assistants. We are very independent. I have my own career.” Cuellar said doctorally-prepared nurses focus on healthcare prevention and promotions. “Doctors don’t do that,” she said. Cuellar said doctors are an important part of healthcare, and should work together with nurses to treat patients when they become sick. The role of doctorally-prepared nurses could help patients prevent certain diseases and unhealthy lifestyles.

In recent years, there have been many educational programs to help prepare disadvantaged students for success. One such program is the McNair scholars program. Brass Bailey is a senior majoring in Spanish with hopes to go on to graduate school. She said being a McNair scholar has its challenges, but it’s also fun. “I became a part of the program in order to do undergraduate research, as well as to join a group of students who are driven in their pursuit of higher education,” Bailey said. “For me personally, Dr.

Cuellar has been an excellent role model as a fellow Hispanic woman,” Bailey said. “She is passionately involved in the Hispanic community of Tuscaloosa and strives to see others succeed.” Paul Ramirez, a biology major with his sights set on medical school, said McNair has helped him with his goal. “The program itself is designed to help students prepare for graduate and professional schools,” Ramirez said. “I got involved with the program because I wanted to do more research, and this program was a perfect fit for me.”

“This information will be used to determine the amount of damages and legal costs due for your unauthorized use of the marks,” Aronowitz said. According to Cesar, a representative from the athletic department called her on Thursday morning to apologize for the cease-and-desist letter. The administrator said the letter was not in line with the University’s protocol for licensing issues for local venues. Cesar was told her case would be handled swiftly and with the spirit of local business in mind. “The administrator I spoke with from the athletic department was most apologetic for

the letter sent to me by CLC,” Cesar said. “I feel now that the University both understands and supports local businesses such as my own.” After receiving the letter, Mary’s researched applying for a trademark license from CLC. “Our store could not afford to operate if we had to pay royalties for placing Universitytrademarked images,” Cesar said. Cesar added that Mary’s takes trademark infringement very seriously and avoids using images such as Disney characters on their caked-goods. “What we failed to realize is that putting the words ‘Roll

Tide’ on football-shaped cookies is also a trademark violation,” Cesar said. “We’ve been putting UA-related images on our goods for over four years, so the letter came as a surprise to me.” The University contacted Cesar again on Monday to give her verbal permission to continue decorating her baked-goods with University trademarked images. Cesar said that she should be receiving an official license from CLC this week. “We’ll be icing cookies with the script A all day today,” Cesar said Tuesday morning. “I even had to let my first customer of the day know that they were buying the first ‘official’ Alabama

themed cake this morning.” Over the past week customers and well-wishers have called in from outside Tuscaloosa to offer their support to Mary’s Cakes and Pastries. “The outpouring of support from the community, and even beyond, has been incredible,” Cesar said. “Even though it has been quite a week for us, the end result is only an incredible amount of positive.” Alyssa Dinberg, a recent graduate from the University, said she was surprised that Mary’s received the letter after having made her Alabama cookies for so long. “Mary’s has not only been

making her Alabama cookies for forever, she has been catering events for the University for as long as I can remember,” Dinberg said. “This past year she donated a platter of baked goods for the New College retreat, and she’s catered several events for the Honors College before.” Dinberg said she is glad that Mary’s will be allowed to continue using Alabama trademarks on her treats. “Mary is an incredible asset to our community and is someone our community should be proud of and support,” Dinberg said. “She is the epitome of the Alabama spirit and I know she will continue to be just that.”

For questions, concerns, or to report potential stormwater violations contact the Office of Environmental Health & Safety at 348-5905 and ehs@bama.ua.edu This is our water.

Let’s all protect it.

NEWS OPINION CULTURE SPORTS

OPINIONS

Page 4 Editor | SoRelle Wyckoff letters@cw.ua.edu Thursday, August 30, 2012

Strip East: an idea for University Boulevard By Tray Smith Senior Columnist

MCT Campus

GOP’s strategy of attacking Obama will fail in fall By Nathan James Staff Reporter At the time of this writing, the Republican Party is trying to send a message to the American people. What they’d like to tell us is that they’re discontented, that we should be discontented, that they can replace Barack Obama, and that Mitt Romney is the best choice for the presidency. However, what they’re actually telling us is this: We’ve learned nothing from the past five years. The Republican Party’s entire strategy seems to be one of conflict and negativity. This is reflected not only in the politics on display, but in the very makeup of the convention. For instance, it is a fact that the entire first day of the convention was specifically and explicitly slated to attack Obama. In a meeting that lasts four days and covers the entirety of the Republican platform and strategy, fully 25 percent of the allotted time has

been devoted to criticism of a single individual. This policy of negativity goes even further. Each day of the convention has a name; the first is, “We Can Do Better,” implicitly invoking Obama’s perceived failures. The second is, “We Built It,” which sounds positive until you realize that it’s a mockery of one of Obama’s less popular speeches. The third, called, “We Can Change It,” echoes the first, and the fourth, “We Believe in America,” is meaningless clichéd filler. This seems to reflect a system of belief consistent with Mitch McConnell’s statement that his top priority was to

“make Obama a one-term president.” The Republican leaders appear to think the American people are so disillusioned with Obama that they’ll elect any Republican just to get rid of him. This is one of the greatest miscalculations of the election cycle. Are many people disillusioned with Obama? Yes, but not so many are so disappointed as to vote for anyone who opposes him. Republicans would do well to remember that Bush won his bid for reelection against a similar strategy, and his approval rating was far lower than Obama’s at the time. Another important point is that far more Americans are frustrated with the obstructionist Republican congress than with Obama. Under these circumstances, an appeal to dissatisfaction is irrational and hypocritical. So, what should Republicans be doing? Ironically enough, they could probably take a page from Obama. We should

remember that Obama was once a dark horse but overcame incredible odds — not by focusing on the negative, but by running an entire campaign based on hope and positivity. He used dissatisfaction to inspire voters, while the Republicans are doing their best to appeal to negative emotions. Also of note is that the Republican platform would prohibit abortions, even in cases of rape, that the convention has wholeheartedly condemned homosexual relations, and that Ron Paul has been denied his chance to speak in front of the party. The Republican Party is selling itself as the party of cynicism, negativity and condemnation, which is exactly the image they should be trying to shake off. If they don’t, they’ll see the results come November. Nathan James is a sophomore majoring in public relations. His column runs weekly on Thursday.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Parking woes by the numbers

Ben Wires

Having spent a number of years at the University, it’s become a yearly ritual of mine to open the pages of The CW and see at least one article on parking early in the semester. Just as surely as the article will appear, someone will cry out “I should be allowed to drive to class! Why, I paid $225 of my dollars for this permit!” In this situation, the common response is to mention privilege, entitlement or some other insult aimed at the new freshmen who are, inevitably, the folks being asked for their opinions on parking, all while, the more experienced upper classmen roll their collective

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The permit for commuter spaces costs $225 per year. This works out to around $1.50 a day, assuming students don’t skip. That’s not too bad, right?

eyes. If you want my opinion, The CW should instead publish why the parking system works the way it does. To that end, I took the liberty of calculating some figures that might help explain to the new students why they can’t drive all over campus and park wherever they want. First, the permit for

commuter spaces costs $225 per year. This works out to around $1.50 a day, assuming students don’t skip. That’s not too bad, right? I’d wager that students living in some of the more remote apartments pay more than $1.50 in gas per day traveling, not to mention the gas you’d burn sitting in traffic trying to park. Second, the traffic on campus is already horrible. Picture this: if half of the 12,698 student parking spots are occupied at any given time, and half of those are trying to drive to class between classes, this works out to 8.5 miles of bumper-to-bumper traffic if the average car length is that of a Kia Rio (a pretty conservative estimate).

To put that into perspective, those cars would completely back up the entirety of Paul W. Bryant Drive, University Boulevard from McFarland Boulevard to Publix, and all of the other roads on campus simultaneously, if parked bumper to bumper. Want to see for yourself how terrible traffic can get? Try to leave for Thanksgiving break by going down McFarland Boulevard to Interstate 20/59, and then keep in mind that a lot of people go via 69 South. Then, imagine that traffic on a two-lane road instead of the six lanes on McFarland Boulevard. Hope this helps to clear some stuff up. Ben Wires is a senior majoring in chemical engineering.

Students have returned to a new year at The University of Alabama and, in many ways, a new campus. The Presidential Village off Jack Warner Parkway is now housing members of a new freshman class and some new greek houses have opened while even more are under construction. And per- potential recruits are to haps most importantly, choose Alabama, and the campus now includes all of more current students will the Bryce property, which be able to enjoy the town. Bars on the east end of will accommodate future University Boulevard, for growth. Most of this growth instance, would make it will occur on the east end easier for the students who of campus. Indeed, the live there to go out without University has already having to drive. Improved planted its flag far in the sidewalks and better lighteast, with the recently ing would make a trip to opened Capstone College Rite Aid as easy as a trip to of Nursing standing just off Publix is for students on the McFarland Boulevard. The west end of campus. More area in between that build- room for more restaurants ing and the traditional core could allow for the return of campus, stretching all of local establishments, the way back to old Bryce, like Lai Lai, that have been offers plenty of room to chased from town over the house new residential facil- past few years. All of this development, ities, recreational space in turn, would make the and University buildings. However, as soon as stu- area look more studentdents step off our glisten- friendly, more lively and ing campus and into the more welcoming to visitors. O f surroundcourse, it ing area, isn’t going the east to comend starts pletely lure to look a students little less The University, busy in its away from promisthe existing ing. Far attempt to purify and commerStrip, and it r e m ove d cialize the existing Strip, should shouldn’t. from the be more focused on what’s The Strip cosmopolreally important to students offers many itan concreating a new one. The area a t t r a c veniences between the law school campus tions for of TCBY, and University Boulevard on students P u b l i x that aren’t and Quick the east end of campus is the likely to Grill, the perfect spot. go away east end anytime offers two soon. But gas stathe current tions, a Strip was tire shop, d eve l o p e d and a usually empty band prac- during an era when the tice field. The only busi- University was much smallness attractive to students er, and students were much is Newk’s Café, which is more concentrated. Now, with 32,000 students shelved between an Arby’s drive-thru and a Soviet- living across an expanding footprint, it is simply not style office building. The University, busy in enough. Already, off-campus housits attempt to purify and commercialize the existing is moving east. Just this ing Strip, should be more month, the East Edge apartfocused on what’s really ment complex opened near important to students - cre- the law school. More develating a new one. The area opments are sure to follow, between the law school and they will likely offer campus and University more comfort and conveBoulevard on the east end nience than the older apartof campus is the perfect ments at the other end of campus. spot. With students on and off While the University is obviously focused on its campus heading toward this own development plans, new frontier, the only thing it is important to make we are missing is a vibrant sure that nearby property neighborhood to complidoesn’t remain in disrepair. ment these new developAfter all, the University has ments. The only thing we already acquired a number are missing is a strip in the of buildings on the existing East. Tray Smith is the online Strip, because administrators realize that the more editor of The Crimson welcoming and safe the White. His column runs on area looks, the more likely Thursday.

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TRENDING IN TUSCALOOSA #RollTide

@UAStudentProbs: “They should either cancel Thursday and Friday class, or send the professors to Dallas, bc that’s where all the students will be #RollTide”

@mmgreen3: “Walking on the quad makes me wanna kick back and tailgate #hurryupfootball #rolltide”

}

@Jordanosaur: “University of Alabama. 14 Football, 6 Gymnastics, 1 Softball, golf national championships, and the country’s largest Starbucks. Roll Tide.”

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Thursday, August 30, 2012 | Page 5

Alabama Public Radio wins award for oil spill coverage By Matt Mecoli Contributing Writer

Submitted

After covering numerous disasters, Pat Duggins won a national award for his oil spill coverage.

Pat Duggins, news director of Alabama Public Radio, has won the Public Radio News Directors Incorporated award for best news series for his work covering the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. “Oil & Water: Recovering from the Spill,” is a five-part radio series that examines the longterm effects on Alabama from the Deepwater Horizon spill. “The big guys, NBC, CNN and Fox, were always coming back with the same stories. It would be something about how a governor wanted money, a fisherman wanted his life back, and a BP executive wanted to say sorry,” Duggins said. “After a while I

said ‘the networks aren’t getting the story.’ I wanted to spend a year on the topic and look at case studies like Prince William Sound in Alaska after the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989.” Duggins delved deeper into the topic, examining issues like the effect on mental health or crime and domestic violence trends. This is not Duggins’ first experience working with disaster. Working with NPR in Orlando, he covered the 1986 Challenger explosion, the 1989 wildfire crisis and the disastrous 2003 Columbia shuttle re-entry failure. He said it was Hurricane Charlie in 2004 that best prepared him for the April 27, 2011 tornado.

The award comes in the wake of several won by the APR news team, including a Sigma Delta Chi award from the Society of Professional Journalists for their tornado coverage. They were also named the “The Most Outstanding News Operation” of 2011 by the Associated Press. In October, APR will join organizations like NBC Network TV, CBS Network Radio and the Associated Press when they receive the national Edward R. Murrow award for overall excellence. “I’m as proud of my team as could be,” Duggins said. The “Oil & Water” series can be found free of charge by searching “Oil and Water” on Alabama Public Radio’s website, www.apr.org.

Ferg renovations force Avanti to change Bama Bound program By Ashley Tripp Contributing Writer The Avanti orientation team is looking to change things up for next year’s incoming freshmen, as upcoming expansions and renovations at the Ferguson Center will force Bama Bound to be relocated. “A completely revamped Bama Bound doesn’t have to mean any less fulfilling of an experience for the students that attend a session this summer,” Julianna Clark, a senior majoring in dance and former Avanti executive board programming chair, said. “I am confident that the orientation staff will design a great program for them.” Founded in 1975, the Avanti Team at The University of Alabama serves as a prominent student service organization in efforts to prepare incoming students for life at UA. Under the Office of Orientation and Special Programs in the Division of Academic Affairs, the Avanti Team helps students become familiar with traditions at the Capstone, as well as academic programs and campus involvement. Clark said her favorite part

of working with the team was being able to help freshmen with their transition into college, whether it was helping them design their schedule or answering questions about greek life. In addition to relocating from the Ferg, the Avanti and Parent Ambassador Teams will be more of a collective unit. These adjustments also mean a new selection process, Paige Bussanich, a senior majoring in psychology and political science, said. Bussanich served as the former Avanti Team executive board academic chair and said in the past, the selection process has been a two-step process. “The first step is a group interview with five other prospective Avantis,” Bussanich said. “The group does an activity that shows the selection committee how they interact in a group and what types of personal attributes are important to them.” For the next round, potential Avantis are invited to an individual interview where the selection committee asks questions about their college experience and gets to know more about them.”

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As an Avanti for two years, Bussanich said the experience has helped her gain a lot of different leadership skills and hopes to see the Avanti Team continue to build distinguished leaders and prestigious groups of individuals, with the new changes in the selection process as the future team moves forward. Landon Lee Nichols Jr., a junior majoring in advertising, served as the Avanti Team executive board communications chair. Nichols believes there is great potential for improvement for the

Submitted

In the picture with Big Al (left to right) is Beth Verhine, Nick Kelly, Landon Nichols, Paige Bussanich and Jennifer Park. Avanti Team. “I believe the Avanti Team should be a tangible, respected force on campus year-round,” Nichols said. “I have watched this program shift its focus from a public relations arm of the

University to a personal growth and development program for the Avantis themselves.” For more information about becoming an Avanti member, head over to Get On Board Day: Dusk Edition on Sept. 11

from 5 to 10 p.m. During the 2013 selection process, every applicant must either come to an interest session or by the Avanti office to pick up a packet before they apply.

Students turn to Off-Campus Bookstore, Amazon to save on textbooks By Adrienne Burch Staff Reporter

The average college student spends $655 a year on course materials, according to the recent OnCampus Research study by the National Association of College Stores. “Books are one of the largest expenses I have dealt with as a college student,” said Leslee Griggers, a senior majoring in business management. “They are just so expensive.” Though the high prices appear daunting, many students have figured out ways to avoid purchasing textbooks – or at least how to make them much less expensive. In addition, some students are able to

offset costs with the introduction of digital books, e-books and textbook rental options. Students claim to spend more money on textbooks as freshmen than any other year in college because freshmen are often unaware of these different options. “I buy fewer books now than I did my freshman year because I feel like in the basic classes, you need them more,” Griggers said. “But when you get to more advanced classes, you may not need the book because the teacher uses other outside resources.” Griggers said this semester she only had to purchase one book for her five classes. The more time students spend at the University, the more

familiar they become with the book-purchasing process. They begin to learn ways to save money and avoid purchasing materials that are not necessary, such as waiting until after the first day of class to decide about ordering textbooks. “I always wait until after the first day before I buy any books,” Griggers said. “Usually the teacher is really good about telling you whether you need it or not.” Adam Hofer, a junior majoring in finance, said he tries not to buy books unless there is information in them that the teacher will not cover in lecture. Students like Griggers and Hofer have also been

successful in finding cheaper options when the textbook is a necessity. Griggers said she now uses the Off-Campus Bookstore to find less-expensive options, while Hofer buys all of his textbooks from Amazon.com. Terry Douthit, owner of Off-Campus Bookstore, said his store has seen a decline in business with the emergence of different media formats for textbooks. However, he said they are still able to maintain business.

“Some people are very particular to a hardback, some people are very particular to an e-book and some people are very particular to the cheapest book,” Duthit said. Duhit said he believes the Off-Campus Bookstore is the ideal option because of its convenience and cheaper prices. However, the recent addition of online codes to the different types of course materials does not allow for cheaper options such as online markets, used bookstores, or

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Page 6 Editor | Lauren Ferguson culture@cw.ua.edu Thursday, August 30, 2012

Southern Living ranks UA a top tailgating school By Dana Woodruff Contributing Writer Dominating both on and off the field, The University of Alabama has earned many championship titles over the years. UA received another accolade from Southern Living magazine, which recently announced the top 20 best tailgate schools in the south. Ranking in â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Powerhousesâ&#x20AC;? category for most bowl victories, the University stands a chance to be crowned the overall winner of the magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s competition if it racks up enough votes from public voting. The other categories include â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Most Spirited,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Traditionalistsâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Style Setters,â&#x20AC;? with each category containing five schools, adding up to a grand total of twenty schools pitted against each other in a contest that will have only one winner. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of the determining factors of [selecting UA] was that we packed tents a

thousand deep on the Quad each Saturday on Game Day,â&#x20AC;? said Rebecca Gordon, Southern Livingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Test Kitchen Director, UA alumna and die-hard Bama fan. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were also very aware that Alabama fans are trendsetters. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no doubt that Tuscaloosa is the houndstooth capital of the south.â&#x20AC;? Aside from its football triumphs, however, some students think Alabama has much more to offer than just points on a scoreboard and feel the overall sense of pride and unity that is rooted so deep within the community fosters within the UA tailgating committee. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of camaraderie and you get that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Roll Tideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience that you wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get at a lot of other schools,â&#x20AC;? said Tanner Glenn, a junior majoring in political science and finance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s almost as if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re tailgating with thousands of family members.â&#x20AC;? Alabama is not the only university with a reputation for

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of camaraderie and you get that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Roll Tideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience that you wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get at a lot of other schools. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Tanner Glenn

school spirit and tradition. In this contest, the University will be competing against other bigname schools such as Auburn, Louisiana State University, Texas A&M and the University of Tennessee. Many students and faculty feel that not only does Alabama pride itself on having such a strong sense of community, but it also cultivates a tradition of excellence. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To say that tradition runs deep is an understatement at Alabama,â&#x20AC;? said Guy Caldwell, a professor of biological sciences here at the University. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It permeates the campus and city, and

tailgating is just an extension of that sense of pride and love for UA that exists.â&#x20AC;? Caldwell regularly attends tailgates on gameday, along with his students and staff of his biomedical research lab on campus. In order to win the title of Southâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best Tailgate, Alabama must earn more votes than any of the other ranked schools. According to the current votes, UA is ranked third, with Clemson taking the lead and Ole Miss following in second place. The official third place winner will be announced on Oct. 2, second place on Oct. 9, and finally, the first place champion will be announced on Oct. 16 at a home game on the winnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s campus. To cast your vote for the Crimson Tide, students, faculty, alumni and others can vote at www.southernliving.com/ tailgate every day until Oct. 1 CW File at 11:59 p.m. Votes placed on Saturdays count twice toward Alabama is in the running to be named the overall winner of Southern Livingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s college football center. the final tally.

Johnny Shines Blues Festival to have all-female lineup By Alexandra Ellsworth Staff Reporter Ladies will be taking the stage for performances this Saturday at the third annual Johnny Shines Blues Festival. Carroline Shines, daughter of the late Johnny Shines and organizer of the event, is introducing a new all-female lineup to this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s festival to support women in the music industry. The festival will take place from noon to 7 p.m. on Johnny Shine Street, with performances by Carroline Shines, Panga Laster, Porsha Ray, Alabama Annie, Hattie B. and BJ Miller.

As a blues artist herself, Shines understands the difficulties that come with being a female artist in the blues, jazz, hip hop and R&B genres. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Being a female performer, I know all we have to go through to get a contract,â&#x20AC;? Shines said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This industry is really sexist. You have to have a certain look to be noticed. We shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to take off our clothes to be noticed. Listen to my voice. Listen to my story.â&#x20AC;? Hattie Butler, or Hattie B. as she is known on stage, said she agrees with Shinesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; views on women in the music industry. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I salute Ms. Shines,â&#x20AC;? Butler

said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She is doing something no past they skipped over people one else has ever done: an all- with talent because they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t female lineup.â&#x20AC;? visually fit the mold. As an R&B and hip hop vocalâ&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kind of like being a ist, Butler model,â&#x20AC;? she ex p e r i e n c e d said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You many of the have to be a It has mostly been about the way same difficulcertain height a woman looks, but now it seems ties. or weight to that people are getting back to â&#x20AC;&#x153;It has make it.â&#x20AC;? talent. mostly been Butler is about the also excited â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Hattie Butler way a woman to be a part of looks, but now this all-ladies it seems that lineup. people are â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think getting back to talent,â&#x20AC;? she said. that the festival is going to be â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where it needs to be.â&#x20AC;? totally awesome,â&#x20AC;? Butler said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I Bulter said she felt that in the canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to perform with these

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

ladies, and I hope everyone has a good time.â&#x20AC;? Although the festival this year is about recognition of female artists, it is also still about celebrating the life and music of Johnny Shines. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wanted people to remember my dad,â&#x20AC;? Shines said about her decision to start the festival. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wanted to keep his legacy alive and bring good, hopeful music to Alabama.â&#x20AC;? Shines plans to keep this annual festival going for as long as she can. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As long as I have breath in my body, I will be doing this,â&#x20AC;? Shines said.

Shines said she would compare the festival to how people sit around in the backyard or on the front porch and play music together. This down-home, southern hospitable atmosphere and some of that â&#x20AC;&#x153;good hopeful musicâ&#x20AC;? is the perfect combination for a good time, Shines said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bring lawn chairs, blankets, coolers, and whatever else you need, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;cause we are going to party!â&#x20AC;? Shines said. Tickets will be $10 in advance and $20 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at Woodrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Barbeque on Rice Mine Rd. or Greensboro Ave.

ABXY hosts 1st game night of fall semester By Courtney Stinson Staff Reporter As a part of Week of Welcome, ABXY, UAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s video gaming club, will give students a chance to unwind with video games tonight at their first official game night of the semester from 7 to 10 p.m. in the Ferguson Center TV lounge. In an effort to attract a diverse group of students, ABXY will cater to a variety of gaming interests and offer a variety of games from â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dance Centralâ&#x20AC;? to sports games. With the pressure of classes and professional development clubs, ABXY is meant to be an organization where students can relax and focus on doing what they enjoy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It gives students a chance to

meet people with similar interests and have some time to wind down from the constant classes, classes, classes all week,â&#x20AC;? Lauren Liebe, a UA graduate student and ABXY member, said. Liebe also enjoys the sense of community ABXY provides by bringing different people together with a common interest. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[The community is] pretty fantastic. We have a lot of people who are really enthusiastic,â&#x20AC;? Liebe said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a chance to meet a lot of new people and make a lot of friends that you might not otherwise have found.â&#x20AC;? Though playing video games can often be a solo pursuit, ABXY president Michael Mintz stressed the importance of having a community to share interests with and being exposed

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to different attitudes about gaming. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You could play games in your dorm or your apartment alone, or you could come to an event with 20, 30, up to 60 people who are all interested in the same thing,â&#x20AC;? Mintz said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You have friends who have different perspectives in the same scenario. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really the ideal kind of community.â&#x20AC;? Aside from this game night, ABXY will also host other events throughout the year including more game nights, tournaments and a Halloween event. Last year, the group held a Pokemon formal. ABXY affords its members the opportunity to game competitively. Members of ABXYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fighting game league have won local tournaments. Other members have gone to the regional Pokemon tournament. Through ABXY, students can find people with similar interests with whom they can travel and compete with in tournaments.

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Membership in ABXY is as relaxed as their events. A $10 membership due affords members voting rights and food at events, but the only requirement for membership in the club is attendance. ABXYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s game nights and league events are free and open to the public. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The biggest thing is we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to exclude anyone,â&#x20AC;? Mintz said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afford $10, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fine. Just show up, have fun and hang out.â&#x20AC;? For more information about ABXY meetings and events, visit their Facebook page or abxygaming.ua.edu.

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Darksiders II ‘basically a carbon copy’ of the popular game Zelda By Buddy Acker Contributing Writer Holy Zelda, Batman! That thought actually crossed my mind while I was playing Darksiders II, which is a lovely tribute to my favorite video game series of all time. Here is a game that doesn’t shy away from borrowing from other games; it does so obviously and without remorse. The original Darksiders took this approach as well, but Darksiders II does what it did in bigger and better ways. However, some technical issues and a shoddy narrative bump Darksiders II from a near-perfection territory into an almost near-perfection territory. As I mentioned, Darksiders II is basically a carbon copy of one of the Zelda games. You will traverse several dungeons throughout the game, collecting chests and battling massive bosses. All of that stuff is very familiar and, fortunately, very awesome. In order to make his way through the aforementioned dungeons, the main

character, Death, borrows a lay around every corner, and I moveset from the Prince of found myself constantly swapPersia himself. Running along ping out my gear for something and climbing walls is just as more powerful. Leveling up fun in Darksiders II as it is in weapons with other weapons the Prince of Persia games. is a very cool idea, and I tip my Death channels Kratos hat to Vigil Games for that parfrom the God of War series ticular addition. Some weapwhile in battle, relying on an ons come ready-made with impressive and devastating different attributes (arcane, combat syselemental, etc.), tem to dispatch which is to be foes. Death expected from a can become an game with RPG It’s ﬁlled with so much unstoppable elements. content and is a joy to play, killing force Jesper Kyd’s at times in the score is stunespecially if you’re a Zelda game, tearing ning. In the fan. through any Shadow of the obstacle with Colossus style ease. This can battle against be annoying. The Guardian, The camera can sometimes I was blown away by how lose track of Death in the midst great the music is. I heard bits of all the chaos, causing con- of compositions in the dunfusion and, in rare instances, geons that reminded me of the even cause Death to plummet Forest Temple theme from The to his doom. Thankfully, Death Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of always respawns near where Time. It’s the kind of score that he fell. is never too over the top and Darksiders II features an manages to captivate at every unbelievably great loot sys- moment. Kyd deserves every tem. New weapons and armor video game music award for

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his work in Darksiders II. Looking for a game with a coherent plot? Look elsewhere. Darksiders II, much like the first game, features a confusing story. I phased out on what was going on shortly after I started playing. I know there’s something in there about a tree or something, but I really don’t care. I was too busy having fun to pay any attention to the poorly written tale of Death’s journey. However, the extraordinary art style kept my eyes glued to my TV screen during cutscenes. Darksiders II doesn’t win if we’re talking polygon count, but it’s still a beautiful game nonetheless. The first Darksiders sold well over one million copies. I hope Darksiders II sells more. It really is a great game. It’s filled with so much content and is a joy to play, especially if you’re a Zelda fan. Don’t buy it for the story. Buy it for the adventure. Buy it for the fantastic combat, loot systems and creative dungeons. I’m glad I own a copy. It’s one of my favorite games of 2012.

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Tide prepares for North Carolina By Rebekah Dye Contributing Writer Alabama womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s volleyball is off to a hot start and will take its 3-1 record to North Carolina this weekend to compete in the Elon Phoenix Classic. The Tide began the season well, winning two matches at the Beanpot Classic in Boston. On Tuesday night, Alabama returned to its home turf for its opener against Alabama A&M. Winning the first three sets, the Crimson Tide claimed another win, beating the Bulldogs 3-0. The team has dealt with a lot of inconsistency this season, especiallly with hitting errors, but Tuesday night offered a change of pace. Only 13 attacking errors were made in all three sets, much

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We will be a little stronger than the first week and each week builds that way, which is what we want as we begin SEC play. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Ed Allen

less than its 24-error average over the first three games â&#x20AC;&#x153;We really executed tonight. I think one thing we really wanted to focus on from the tournament was hitting errors,â&#x20AC;? junior setter Andrea McQuaid said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Reducing the errors in that area was really looking up for us.â&#x20AC;? Sophomore Pricilla DukeEzeji also felt that consistency was improving. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[Our consistency] was better than most matches that

we played,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is something that we are really working on in practice.â&#x20AC;? In Tuesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s game, the team was without outside hitter Kayla Fitterer, a key player on offense. Fitterer had surgery in the offeseason and has since been on a day to day basis. She is able to play, but the entire team wants to make sure she is healthy and in playing shape, so she is still questionable for this weekendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tournament. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t had a chance to

practice much or play much, so getting her into playing shape is important.â&#x20AC;? head coach Ed Allen said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The main thing for us is we want her healthy as we begin SEC play.â&#x20AC;? The Crimson Tide will participate in a three-game tournament this weekend, starting off with North Carolina Central on Aug. 31. With the momentum from the first home win and improvements in hitting errors, players and coaches want to bring home a 3-0 record from the tournament. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are excited. This was a good match for the kids to build on,â&#x20AC;? Allen said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will be a little stronger than the first week and each week builds that way, which is CW | Caitlin Trotter what we want as we begin Alabama volleyball heads to North Carolina this weekend, seeking to SEC play.â&#x20AC;? improve their 3-1 record to 6-1 at the Elon Phoenix Classic.

SOCCER

Consistency, continued improvement helps Alabama By Caroline Gazzara Contributing Writer Alabama soccer will look to continue its winning streak with a victory over South Alabama Friday. Head coach Todd Bramble said even without losing any of their first three games, the team has seen improvements that he believes will help keep them ahead of the competition. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve gotten off to a good start,â&#x20AC;? Bramble said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve gotten incrementally better in each of our three games weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve played, so Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m looking for consistency and continued improvement. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to take a step

backward this weekend.â&#x20AC;? With a tight consistency, sophomore midfielder Theresa Diederich said she believes that even though the team is young, they are better than ever. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Having such a young team and just realizing that we have the potential to be successful, that motivates us and playing together and enjoying being out on the field,â&#x20AC;? Diederich said. South Alabama presents a challenge to the Crimson Tide that they have yet to experience. Though not a conference game, the atmosphere and possibility of inclement weather pose a tough challenge for the Tide. Brambleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

concerns range from field conditions to South Alabamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tough play. â&#x20AC;&#x153;South Alabama is going to put everything they have into this game. Their team will be organized,â&#x20AC;? Bramble said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be tough to play against and I expect this game to be a really tough challenge for us.â&#x20AC;? Preparing for this challenge, the Tide has been tasking themselves with improving from previous games. By reviewing plays and understanding what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done wrong or what they can improve on, the Tide is striving to be better, especially after facing UAB.

The Tide struggled with its shooting percentage, shooting .053 percent against Kennesaw State and .077 percent against Samford during itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first two games, but it improved to .308 percent against UAB over the weekend. But the team is still not satisfied. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This week weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been practicing a few things that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve noticed we need to work on from playing UAB but mostly just keep doing what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing and just try to be consistent,â&#x20AC;? Diederich said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just keep working hard and hopefully victory will come if we keep doing what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing.â&#x20AC;?

Senior center Josie Rix has seen the improvement over the weeks and has also inspired motivation to keep up the improvement. Being a center, Rix believes confidence starts with her and her teammates. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If our back line has a sense of confidence and stuff like that, it fuels the team and it makes the team,â&#x20AC;? Rix said. The Tideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strong connection with each other keeps the playerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s excited yet relaxed for their South Alabama game. Coach Bramble has established routines in order to keep the players focused and driven. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[We have] established what

our routines are so that the players can have some predictability and comfort level going into what a game week is going to feel like and what the preparation is needed to be so we can perform well,â&#x20AC;? Bramble said. Hopeful aspirations keep the Tide motivated and enthusiastic about a rewarding game, but each teammate has in the back of their minds simple words of wisdom. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To strive for victory, to give everything,â&#x20AC;? Diederich said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You never know when your last game could be so just put it out onto the field and play with your heart.â&#x20AC;?

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HOROSCOPES Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Birthday (08/30/12). The last decade has taught you whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s truly important. This year launches a new creative era, in which your community and collaborations provide resources, and where your career reaches new heights. Pay it forward, and grow the love. To get the advantage, check the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is a 7 -- Who are you going to listen to, your doubts or your dreams? If you hear the music, dance, even if others question your moves. Finish up old projects today and tomorrow. Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Strengthen your infrastructure and do the research to get the best deal. Check public opinion, but you may not need to know the details. Ignore kidding from a friend. Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Go farther than you expected. Go ahead and push your luck. Focus on making a profit, but limit yourself to window-shopping. Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Today is a 5 -- Figure out how much you can provide and how much you can afford to put away. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easier to play than work now, but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give up. Anticipate disagreement. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Consider any changes very carefully before you make them. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good moment for financial planning, but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get your hopes up. Make pleasure a top priority.

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Page 10 | Thursday, August 30, 2012

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Tide cross country opens season on Saturday By Charlie Potter Contributing Writer The Alabama Crimson Tide menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cross country teams will begin their seasons this Saturday at 8:30 a.m. at Harry Pritchett Running Park in the Crimson Tide Cross Country Kickoff in a competition against Samford, West Alabama, Alabama A&M and UAB. Second-year head coach Dan Waters is optimistic about the upcoming season, but he will lead two inexperienced teams into the first meet. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are just going to try to learn a little about cross coun-

Johnson moves from walk-on to starter JOHNSON FROM PAGE 1 Still, if anyone on the team, other than Johnson himself, knew he could earn a starting position, it would be safety Vinnie Sunseri. Sunseri said he used to look up to Johnson growing up, when Johnson and Sunseriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s older brother used to play together at middle school. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve known Kelly since he was in the seventh grade,â&#x20AC;? Sunseri said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Actually watched him when he was growing up, and he was able to dunk a ball in the seventh grade. He was a freak athlete and I was like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Wow, I want to be like Kelly when I get older.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Sunseri said Johnson was

Counting Down

2 DAYS

UNTIL

DALLAS

Always Counting Up

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

The student-athletes that we have in here are in a very developmental stage, but they will be extraordinarily good when they are juniors and seniors. What will make them good is getting this experience at this point in their career. Instead of waiting years for their time to come, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting that experience right now. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Dan Waters

try,â&#x20AC;? Waters said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This will be the first race for the freshmen. It will be more like a fitness test.â&#x20AC;? The menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s teams were selected to finish seventh and eighth, respectively, in the SEC preseason polls, which are voted upon by the leagueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head coaches. The menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team is com-

prised of 11 freshmen and one sophomore. Sophomore Matt Joyner of Jackson, Tenn., is the only experienced runner on Watersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roster and will offer the Crimson Tide some much needed leadership. Gil Walton of Fairhope, Ala., is the freshman to watch for the menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team. Their female counterparts

are faced with the same obstacle of developing a young roster. The womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team will have nine freshmen and only three returning runners. Elsbeth Denton of Vestavia Hills, Ala., is the only senior in the entire cross country program. Waters declared Kimberley Ficenec of Stafford, Va., and Meropi Panagiotou of Cyprus, to be the rookies to watch. Veteran runners are preferred over rookies and Alabamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s squads have very few veterans, but though the teams lack the experience that most of the other SEC schools possess, there is no deficiency

in the talent level of the firstyear runners. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are very happy with the talent we have as freshmen,â&#x20AC;? Waters said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have some outstanding freshmen.â&#x20AC;? However, the cross country program is in an obvious rebuilding state, and they will look to begin the rebuilding process this Saturday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The student-athletes that we have in here are in a very developmental stage, but they will be extraordinarily good when they are juniors and seniors,â&#x20AC;? Waters said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What will make them good is getting this experience at this point in their career. Instead of waiting

years for their time to come, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting that experience right now.â&#x20AC;? Having the opportunity to compete right away and in the SEC is why so many talented high school students choose the Capstone. In order to improve and grow stronger as a unit, a lot of personal growth and understanding of races must take place. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The talent is there,â&#x20AC;? Waters said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They just need to trust their teammates and gain valuable experience.â&#x20AC;? The menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s race gets underway at 8:30 a.m., while the women run at 9 a.m. The event is free to attend.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t explain to you how hard heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been working. He definitely pushes himself â&#x20AC;Ś Cream rises to the top and he definitely deserves everything he got. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Vinnie Sunseri

the example of hard work on the team during the fall, where he would normally finish sprinting drills at the front of the line and spend a lot of his time in the film room. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I saw him over there one day walking over, as we were going against each other, starters against starters,â&#x20AC;? Sunseri said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Kelly, whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; It was cool. I was really, really, really happy for the guy.â&#x20AC;? Still, Sunseri said heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a little less happy to see Johnson if the two happen to collide during plays, where Sunseri said he loses most of the time due to Johnsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s superior size. Regardless, Sunseri said he thought Johnson earned his position. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t explain to you how hard heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been working,â&#x20AC;? Sunseri said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He definitely pushes himself â&#x20AC;Ś Cream rises to the top and he definitely deserves everything he got.â&#x20AC;?

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CW | Austin Bigoney

The Crimson Tide continues to prepare for their game against Michigan this week.